Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 167

Devanagari script

तदा तेषु च देशेषु चतुर्वर्गस्य साधनम् । सर्वेषां प्रवरं प्रोक्तं कुमारीश्वरमेव च

Transliteration

tadā teṣu ca deśeṣu caturvargasya sādhanam | sarveṣāṃ pravaraṃ proktaṃ kumārīśvarameva ca

Translation

Alors, parmi ces contrées, fut enseigné le moyen d’accomplir les quatre buts de la vie (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa). Pourtant, le plus éminent de tous fut proclamé : Kumārīśvara seul.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तेषु: in/among those
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• देशेषु: in the places/regions
• देशेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन

• चतुर्वर्गस्य: of the four aims of life
• चतुर्वर्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्-वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + वर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; ‘चतुर्णां वर्गाणां’/‘चार-पुरुषार्थ-समूहस्य’

• साधनम्: means, instrument
• साधनम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश

• प्रवरम्: best, excellent
• प्रवरम्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense: best)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared/said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predication/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि: ‘has been said’

• कुमारीश्वरम्: Kumārīśvara (a form/place of Śiva)
• कुमारीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; कुमारी + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘कुमार्याः ईश्वरः’ (Lord of Kumārī)

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara (Kumārīśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage or narrator points toward a radiant Śiva-liṅga shrine titled Kumāreśvara; surrounding landscape shows multiple sacred spots, yet a haloed central kṣetra is singled out as supreme for the four aims.

Characters & Entities

• Kumārīśvara
• caturvarga (puruṣārthas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among many sacred means, devotion to the right deity at the right kṣetra is praised as the most powerful path to dharma, prosperity, fulfillment, and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumārīśvara (and by implication Kumārikā-kṣetra) is singled out as the foremost sacred focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is given here; it establishes the theological supremacy of worship centered on Kumārīśvara.