Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

एते हि राक्षसाः श्रेष्ठा शिवार्चनरताः सदा । लिंगमभ्यर्च्य च सदा सिद्धिं प्राप्ताः पुरा तु ते

Transliteration

ete hi rākṣasāḥ śreṣṭhā śivārcanaratāḥ sadā | liṃgamabhyarcya ca sadā siddhiṃ prāptāḥ purā tu te

Translation

Car ceux-là étaient les plus éminents parmi les Rākṣasa, toujours voués à l’adoration de Śiva. Ayant sans cesse honoré le Liṅga, ils obtinrent jadis la siddhi, l’accomplissement spirituel.

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Emphasis/Reason marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/causal)

• राक्षसाः: rākṣasas
• राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाः: excellent, best
• श्रेष्ठाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (राक्षसाः)

• शिवार्चनरताः: devoted to worship of Śiva
• शिवार्चनरताः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + अर्चन + रत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य अर्चनम् → शिवार्चन; शिवार्चने रताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); ‘having worshipped’

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

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• सिद्धिम्: success, attainment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्ताः: attained/obtained
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (ते) ‘having attained’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by section-context deduction

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-liṅga (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rākṣasa leaders, now softened by devotion, circle a liṅga with offerings; a subtle aura indicates ‘siddhi’—light rising from the liṅga into their crowns.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Rākṣasas
• Siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady liṅga-worship (śivārcana) yields siddhi; devotion, when continuous, transforms even the most formidable into accomplished worshippers.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śaiva sphere, where liṅga-worship is upheld as a source of spiritual attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular worship of the Śiva-liṅga (liṅgam abhyarcya sadā) is the implied sādhana.