Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

तत्र पाशुपतो भूत्वा शिवाराधनतत्परः । स्वायंभुवं महाकालं पूजयन्वर्ततेऽधुना

Transliteration

tatra pāśupato bhūtvā śivārādhanatatparaḥ | svāyaṃbhuvaṃ mahākālaṃ pūjayanvartate'dhunā

Translation

वहाँ वह पाशुपत-भक्त बनकर शिव-आराधना में पूर्णतः तत्पर हुआ; और आज भी स्वयम्भू महाकाल प्रभु की पूजा करता रहता है।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• पाशुपतः: a Pāśupata (follower of Paśupati)
• पाशुपतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल — gerund/absolutive ‘having become’

• शिव: of Śiva
• शिव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) — masculine genitive singular (as prior member)

• आराधन: worship
• आराधन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → आराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) — neuter stem ‘worship’ (as compound member)

• तत्परः: devoted (intent)
• तत्परः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; ‘devoted/intent’

• शिवाराधनतत्परः: intent on worship of Śiva
• शिवाराधनतत्परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आराधन + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘शिवस्य आराधने तत्परः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• स्वायंभुवम्: self-manifest
• स्वायंभुवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (महान् कालः): पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• पूजन्: worshipping
• पूजन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — present active participle ‘worshipping’

• वर्तते: he remains/continues
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — present indicative, 3rd sg, middle

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of time

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Babhru-pāvana (contextual tīrtha-name emerges in v.107)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee newly turned Pāśupata stands before a dark, self-manifest Mahākāla Liṅga, offering bilva leaves and water; the shrine glows with lamp-light while time itself is suggested by a subtle kala-chakra motif.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata
• Śiva
• Mahākāla
• Svayambhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady devotion to Śiva—especially to a svayambhū form—transforms life and establishes enduring spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra, where Mahākāla (svayambhū) is worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-ārādhana and Mahākāla-pūjā (worship of Mahākāla), aligned with the Pāśupata devotional mode.