Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

भग्नं शिवालयं ये च प्रकुर्वंति नरोत्तमाः । प्राप्नुवति फल ते वै द्विगुणं नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

bhagnaṃ śivālayaṃ ye ca prakurvaṃti narottamāḥ | prāpnuvati phala te vai dviguṇaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Les meilleurs des hommes qui restaurent un sanctuaire de Śiva brisé obtiennent assurément un mérite double ; il n’y a là aucun doute.

Word by Word

• भग्नम्: broken, damaged
• भग्नम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle, Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शिवालयम्: Śiva’s temple
• शिवालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative, Singular, Neuter; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य आलयः)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative, Plural

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

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: repair/restore, make (it) properly
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present, 3rd person, Plural

• नरोत्तमाः: best of men
• नरोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative, Plural, Masculine; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः नराः)

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: they obtain
• प्राप्नुवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present, 3rd person, Plural (पाठे ‘प्राप्नुवति’ इति एकवचन-भ्रंशः)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative, Singular, Neuter

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Pronoun, Nominative, Plural

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्विगुणम्: double (in amount)
• द्विगुणम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative, Singular, Neuter; समासः—द्विगु (द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणम्)

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

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Predicate/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative, Singular, Masculine

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Śiva-ālaya (generalized)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees and artisans rebuild a damaged stone Śiva-temple: lifting blocks, repairing the sanctum, repainting, re-installing lamps; Śiva’s presence is invoked through ritual at the worksite.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivālaya (Śiva temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving the sacred by repairing temples is a high dharmic act that multiplies spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s sacred landscape, where service to Śiva’s abode is praised as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Restoring (repairing/rebuilding) a damaged Śiva-temple and maintaining sacred infrastructure.