Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

उपजीवनहेतोश्च भिया ये ह्यपि मानवाः । पापिनोऽपि दुराचाराः शिववेषधरा ह्यमी

Transliteration

upajīvanahetośca bhiyā ye hyapi mānavāḥ | pāpino'pi durācārāḥ śivaveṣadharā hyamī

Translation

Même ces hommes qui, pour gagner leur vie ou par crainte, revêtent l’habit de Śiva—fussent-ils pécheurs et de mauvaise conduite—ceux-là portent bien, au dehors, la marque de Śiva.

Word by Word

• upajīvanahetoḥ: for the sake of livelihood
• upajīvanahetoḥ: Hetu/Prayojana (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upajīvana-hetu (प्रातिपदिक; उपजीवन + हेतु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उपजीवनस्य हेतुḥ)

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

• bhiyā: out of fear
• bhiyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhī (प्रातिपदिक; भि/भी-शब्द)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

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

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• mānavāḥ: men, humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• pāpinaḥ: sinful
• pāpinaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying mānavāḥ)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• durācārāḥ: of bad conduct
• durācārāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-ācāra (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + आचार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुष्टः आचारः यस्य) / बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्

• śivaveṣadharāḥ: wearing Śiva’s guise
• śivaveṣadharāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva-veṣa-dhara (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + वेष + धर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य वेषः; तं धरति इति)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• amī: these (people)
• amī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; दूरवाचक-प्रयोगः (these/those)

Speaker

Kāla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dūtas (messengers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Himalayan shrine precinct, some men wear rudrākṣa and ash marks for livelihood or fear; a divine injunction distinguishes outwardly marked but inwardly impure from true devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching highlights the gravity of Śaiva identity—outer affiliation is noted even when inner conduct is flawed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa setting frames the discourse, but no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopting Śaiva dress/marks is referenced, though the verse critiques motivations like fear or livelihood.