Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

काल उवाच । ये त्रिपुण्ड्रंधारयंति तथा ये वै जटाधराः । ये रुद्राक्षधराश्चैव तथा ये शिवनामिनः

Transliteration

kāla uvāca | ye tripuṇḍraṃdhārayaṃti tathā ye vai jaṭādharāḥ | ye rudrākṣadharāścaiva tathā ye śivanāminaḥ

Translation

Kāla dit : Ceux qui portent le tripuṇḍra ; ceux qui, vraiment, portent les mèches en jaṭā ; ceux qui portent les grains de rudrākṣa ; et ceux qui sont marqués par le Nom de Śiva—

Word by Word

• kālaḥ: Kāla (Time personified)
• kālaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun: those who)

• tripuṇḍram: the triple forehead-mark (tripuṇḍra)
• tripuṇḍram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇḍra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रयः पुṇ्ड्राः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• dhārayaṃti: wear/bear
• dhārayaṃti: Kriyā (Relative clause verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative: “cause to bear/wear”)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• jaṭādharāḥ: wearers of matted hair
• jaṭādharāḥ: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (जटां धरन्ति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• rudrākṣadharāḥ: wearers of rudrākṣa beads
• rudrākṣadharāḥ: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (रुद्राक्षं धरन्ति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• śivanāminaḥ: those bearing Śiva’s name / called by Śiva’s name
• śivanāminaḥ: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + nāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शिव-नाम्ना युक्ताः / शिवनाम-धारिणः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Kāla (as named in the verse; functionally aligned with Yama in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dūtāḥ / attendants (implied continuation of command to messengers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāla speaks, enumerating Śiva-devotees: ascetics with jaṭā, pilgrims with tripuṇḍra, rudrākṣa malas, and people chanting ‘Śiva’—a catalog of devotional identities.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla
• Śiva
• Tripuṇḍra
• Rudrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External Śaiva marks (tripuṇḍra, jaṭā, rudrākṣa, Śiva-name) are treated as significant indicators of devotion and religious identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra sacred region), though this verse focuses on devotees’ characteristics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wearing tripuṇḍra and rudrākṣa, and bearing Śiva’s name—devotional observances linked to Śaiva practice.