Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

स राजा सर्वधर्मज्ञः पालयन्सकलां महीम् । प्रदोषसमये शंभुं कदा चित्प्रत्यपूजयत्

Transliteration

sa rājā sarvadharmajñaḥ pālayansakalāṃ mahīm | pradoṣasamaye śaṃbhuṃ kadā citpratyapūjayat

Translation

वह राजा सर्वधर्मज्ञ था और समस्त पृथ्वी का पालन करता था। उसने एक बार प्रदोष-काल में शम्भु की विशेष पूजा की।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वधर्मज्ञः: knower of all dharmas
• सर्वधर्मज्ञः: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-धर्म-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक: सर्व + धर्म + ज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘राजा’)

• पालयन्: ruling/protecting
• पालयन्: Kriya-viseshana (Concurrent action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु) → पालयत्/पालयन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सकलाम्: entire
• सकलाम्: Karma (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘महीम्’)

• महीम्: earth/realm
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रदोषसमये: at twilight time (pradoṣa)
• प्रदोषसमये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष-समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शंभुम्: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कदा: at some time/once
• कदा: Avyaya (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb; here idiomatic ‘once/at some time’)

• चित्: ever/some
• चित्: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle used with interrogatives to mean ‘some/ever’)

• प्रत्यपूजयत्: worshipped
• प्रत्यपूजयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pradoṣa-kāla (time-tīrtha motif rather than place)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the petitioner and assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A righteous king in royal attire performs Śiva pūjā at twilight: lamp flames, incense smoke, bilva leaves, and a Śiva-liṅga or icon of Śambhu; the sky is indigo with the last red band of sunset.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilya
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Pradoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even rulers are bound to devotional discipline; timely worship (Pradoṣa) is presented as a dharmic anchor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No location is specified; the emphasis is on the sacred time (Pradoṣa) and worship of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of Śambhu (Śiva) at Pradoṣa time is indicated as the key observance.