Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

वराकास्ते न जानंति मूढा विषयलोलुपाः । वंदनीयो महादेवो ह्यर्चनीयः सदाशिवः

Transliteration

varākāste na jānaṃti mūḍhā viṣayalolupāḥ | vaṃdanīyo mahādevo hyarcanīyaḥ sadāśivaḥ

Translation

Misérables sont ces insensés, avides des objets des sens : ils ne comprennent pas que Mahādeva est digne de prosternation, et que Sadāśiva, en vérité, est digne d’adoration.

Word by Word

• वराकाः: wretches
• वराकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते (wretches)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘वराकाः’ इत्यस्य पुनरुक्त-निर्देशः (those)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘जानन्ति’ (they know)

• मूढाः: deluded
• मूढाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘ते’ इति विशेषणम् (deluded)

• विषयलोलुपाः: greedy for sense-objects
• विषयलोलुपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषय-लोलुप (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: विषय + लोलुप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘विषयेषु लोलुपाः’ (greedy for sense-objects)

• वन्दनीयः: worthy of salutation
• वन्दनीयः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्दनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वन्द् (धातु) + अनीय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be saluted)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देव (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: महा + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विषयः (Mahādeva)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अर्चनीयः: worthy of worship
• अर्चनीयः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च् (धातु) + अनीय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त (to be worshipped)

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा-शिव (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: सदा + शिव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विषयः (Sadāśiva)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side, people chasing pleasures with distracted faces; on the other, a pilgrim bows to Mahādeva and performs simple worship, radiating clarity.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Sadāśiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment to sense-pleasures blinds one to the highest duty: reverence and worship of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, in the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s broader praise of Śiva and His worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vandanā (salutation) and arcanā (formal worship) of Mahādeva/Sadāśiva.