Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

किं तैः कर्मगणैः शोच्यैर्नानाभावविशेषितैः । यदि पञ्चाननः श्रीमान् सेव्यते सर्वथा शिवः

Transliteration

kiṃ taiḥ karmagaṇaiḥ śocyairnānābhāvaviśeṣitaiḥ | yadi pañcānanaḥ śrīmān sevyate sarvathā śivaḥ

Translation

നാനാഭാവഭേദങ്ങളാൽ വ്യത്യസ്തമായ ആ ദയനീയ കർമ്മക്കൂട്ടങ്ങൾ എന്തിന്? ശ്രീമാൻ പഞ്ചാനന ശിവനെ സർവ്വഥാ ഭക്തിയോടെ സേവിച്ചാൽ മതി।

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use/need)?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• तैः: by/with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कर्मगणैः: with groups of rites/actions
• कर्मगणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शोच्यैः: lamentable/pitiable
• शोच्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोच्य (प्रातिपदिक; √शुच्/शोच् से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective) कर्मगणैः इति विशेष्यस्य

• नानाभावविशेषितैः: distinguished by various states/varieties
• नानाभावविशेषितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + भाव + विशेषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective) कर्मगणैः इति विशेष्यस्य

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• पञ्चाननः: the five-faced one
• पञ्चाननः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रीमान्: glorious/auspicious
• श्रीमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) पञ्चाननः/शिवः इति

• सेव्यते: is served/worshipped
• सेव्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्वथा: in every way/always
• सर्वथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Deductively: Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on the Narmadā ghāṭ turns away from piles of ritual paraphernalia and instead offers a simple bilva leaf with folded hands to a five-faced Śiva liṅga/icon; the mood is resolute and uncluttered.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcānana (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wholehearted service to Śiva surpasses scattered, motive-driven ritual actions and leads toward spiritual fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context frames the teaching within the sacred Revā/Narmadā region, emphasizing devotion at the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse prioritizes sarvathā-sevā (complete devotion/service) to Pañcānana Śiva over numerous ritual karmas.