Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

इति ज्ञात्वा महाभागत्यक्त्वा शल्यानि कृत्स्नशः । भज रुद्रं वर्णधर्मं पालयास्मात्परं न हि

Transliteration

iti jñātvā mahābhāgatyaktvā śalyāni kṛtsnaśaḥ | bhaja rudraṃ varṇadharmaṃ pālayāsmātparaṃ na hi

Translation

ಹೇ ಮಹಾಭಾಗ! ಇದನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದು, ಅಂತರಂಗದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಶಲ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು (ಮುಳ್ಳುಗಳನ್ನು) ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ತ್ಯಜಿಸು. ರುದ್ರನನ್ನು ಭಜಿಸು, ನಿನ್ನ ವರ್ಣಧರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಪಾಲಿಸು—ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮೇಲಾದುದು ಇಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य/महाभागः)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund)

• śalyāni: thorns/afflictions
• śalyāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• kṛtsnaśaḥ: entirely
• kṛtsnaśaḥ: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsnaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: wholly)

• bhaja: worship/serve
• bhaja: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (भज्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rudram: Rudra (Śiva)
• rudram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• varṇadharmam: the duty of one’s varṇa
• varṇadharmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वर्णस्य धर्मः)

• pālaya: protect/observe
• pālaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pāl (पाल्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asmāt: from this
• asmāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• param: afterwards/further
• param: Kāla/Prakāra (Thereafter/परम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: thereafter/further)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to 'mahābhāga' (fortunate one)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous child-form sage instructs a devotee: thorns dissolve from the heart as Rudra’s presence rises; dharma is shown as a steady pillar.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remove inner afflictions, worship Rudra, and live by dharma; devotion and righteous duty are presented as the highest path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is praised in this verse; it stresses Rudra devotion and dharmic living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhajana/worship of Rudra is prescribed generally; no specific vrata, snāna, or dāna is detailed.