Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

उषस्युषसि तन्वंगी शिवद्वाररता सदा । संमार्जनं च कुरुते भक्त्या परमया युता

Transliteration

uṣasyuṣasi tanvaṃgī śivadvāraratā sadā | saṃmārjanaṃ ca kurute bhaktyā paramayā yutā

Translation

À chaque aube, la jeune fille aux membres graciles, toujours attachée au seuil de Śiva, balayait et nettoyait, habitée par la plus haute dévotion.

Word by Word

• उषसि: at dawn
• उषसि: अधिकरण (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक-प्रयोगः

• उषसि: at dawn (again)
• उषसि: अधिकरण (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्तिः (emphatic repetition)

• तन्वङ्गी: slender-limbed
• तन्वङ्गी: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनु + अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘having a slender body/limbs’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• शिवद्वाररता: devoted at Śiva’s doorway
• शिवद्वाररता: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + द्वार + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘devoted to/engaged at Śiva’s door’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्व-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• संमार्जनम्: sweeping/cleaning
• संमार्जनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + मृज् (धातु) → संमार्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-नाम (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

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

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• परमया: supreme, utmost
• परमया: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भक्त्या इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• युता: endowed (with)
• युता: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘युक्ता’ इत्यर्थः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-dvāra-sevā (temple-threshold service) within Kedāra/Kāśī Śaiva ethos

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal audience of Kedārakhaṇḍa dialogue frame (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At first light, Sundarī in simple attire sweeps the temple threshold of Śiva, lamp flames flicker, flowers and bilva leaves nearby; her posture is humble, face serene, absorbed in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-dvāra
• Sundarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, humble service performed with supreme devotion becomes a direct form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra Śiva-sphere is praised through the sanctity of serving at Śiva’s very threshold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uṣaḥkāla-sevā: dawn-time saṃmārjana (daily sweeping/cleaning) at the Śiva temple entrance.