Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

शिवं हि नित्यं परमात्मदैवं वेदैकवेद्यं परमात्मदिव्यम् । विहाय तं मूढजनाः प्रमत्ताः शिवं न जानंति परात्मरूपम्

Transliteration

śivaṃ hi nityaṃ paramātmadaivaṃ vedaikavedyaṃ paramātmadivyam | vihāya taṃ mūḍhajanāḥ pramattāḥ śivaṃ na jānaṃti parātmarūpam

Translation

Śiva est éternel : le Soi suprême, la Divinité ; connaissable par le seul Veda, Réalité suprême et lumineuse. Pourtant, les hommes égarés et insouciants, l’ayant délaissé, ne reconnaissent pas Śiva dans sa forme de Soi le plus haut.

Word by Word

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• paramātma-daivam: the divine Supreme Self
• paramātma-daivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + daiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘the supreme-self divine (one)’

• veda-eka-vedyam: knowable only by the Veda
• veda-eka-vedyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + vedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (वेदेन एव वेद्यः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• paramātma-divyam: the divine Supreme Self
• paramātma-divyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vihāya: having abandoned
• vihāya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√hā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mūḍha-janāḥ: deluded people
• mūḍha-janāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• pramattāḥ: heedless
• pramattāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√mad (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृदन्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘careless/intoxicated’

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• jānanti: they know
• jānanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• para-ātma-rūpam: the form of the Supreme Self
• para-ātma-rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (परस्य आत्मनः रूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: doctrinal conclusion in narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as radiant inner Self (light within the heart-lotus) while heedless people turn away toward distractions; a Vedic rishi points to the inner light; contrast between delusion (dark) and knowledge (golden).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest realization is to know Śiva as Paramātman; ignorance is not lack of information but the neglect of the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedārakhaṇḍa, the philosophical exaltation of Śiva supports the mahātmya of Kedāra as a place oriented to liberation through Śiva-knowledge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the teaching is contemplative and theological.