Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 199

Devanagari script

नातः परं पुण्यतमं किंचिदस्ति महाफलम् । सर्ववेदरहस्यं च सूर्येणोक्तमिदं मम

Transliteration

nātaḥ paraṃ puṇyatamaṃ kiṃcidasti mahāphalam | sarvavedarahasyaṃ ca sūryeṇoktamidaṃ mama

Translation

Rien n’est plus éminemment méritoire que cela, ni plus fécond en fruits. C’est l’essence secrète de tous les Veda, que Sūrya m’a révélée.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• ataḥ: than this / from this
• ataḥ: Apadana/Comparison point (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/हेतुवाचक/तुलनाबिन्दु (from this/than this)

• param: higher, beyond
• param: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक-विशेषण

• puṇyatamam: most meritorious
• puṇyatamam: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + tamaP (तमतम-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative)

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (something/anything)

• asti: exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mahāphalam: great result
• mahāphalam: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समानाधिकरण-कर्मधारय (great + fruit/result)

• sarvavedarahasyam: the secret of all the Vedas
• sarvavedarahasyam: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + veda (प्रातिपदिक) + rahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (of all Vedas: secret)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sūryeṇa: by Sūrya
• sūryeṇa: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• uktam: said/spoken
• uktam: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (said)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced); internal reference indicates a teaching received from Sūrya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Sūrya instructs the narrator in a radiant chariot-like aura; the Śatarudrīya is shown as a glowing manuscript/śruti stream, symbolizing ‘sarvaveda-rahasya’.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Vedas
• Śatarudrīya (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śatarudrīya-centered Śiva devotion is portrayed as Veda-sāra (the essence of the Vedas) and a supreme source of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies the teaching and its spiritual potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a detailed ritual; it elevates the practice (Śatarudrīya recitation) as supremely meritorious.