Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

संमार्जनं च पाणिभ्यां पद्भ्यां यानं शिवालये । तस्मान्मया च क्रियते संमार्जनमतंद्रितम्

Transliteration

saṃmārjanaṃ ca pāṇibhyāṃ padbhyāṃ yānaṃ śivālaye | tasmānmayā ca kriyate saṃmārjanamataṃdritam

Translation

De mes mains je balaie, et de mes pieds je me rends au sanctuaire de Śiva. C’est pourquoi j’accomplis moi-même ce balayage avec ardeur, sans paresse.

Word by Word

• संमार्जनम्: cleaning, sweeping
• संमार्जनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमार्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• पाणिभ्याम्: with (both) hands
• पाणिभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• पद्भ्याम्: with (both) feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• यानम्: going, movement
• यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शिवालये: in the temple of Śiva
• शिवालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + आलय (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ("शिवस्य आलयः")

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थक/अपादानार्थक (from that/therefore)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• संमार्जनम्: cleaning
• संमार्जनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमार्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अतन्द्रितम्: without laziness, diligently
• अतन्द्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + तन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa reporting a dialogue in Kedāra context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The lady herself sweeps the stone floor with a broom, sleeves slightly raised; her attendants watch respectfully. The path to the sanctum is shown, emphasizing her feet moving toward Śiva’s temple.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivālaya (Śiva temple)
• Kedāra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Temple service (seva) offered to Śiva—especially humble acts like sweeping—becomes a direct path of devotion when done diligently.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra setting in the Kedārakhaṇḍa frames the verse, emphasizing Śiva’s sacred precinct and its temple-service culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃmārjana—cleaning/sweeping the Śiva-temple—as a devotional observance performed without negligence.