Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

दानवेश शिवप्राप्तिर्भावभक्त्यैव जायते । शिवं चालयितुं बुद्धिः कथं तव भविष्यति

Transliteration

dānaveśa śivaprāptirbhāvabhaktyaiva jāyate | śivaṃ cālayituṃ buddhiḥ kathaṃ tava bhaviṣyati

Translation

ഹേ ദാനവേശാ! ശിവപ്രാപ്തി ഭാവഭക്തിയാൽ മാത്രമേ ജനിക്കൂ; അങ്ങനെ ഇരിക്കെ ശിവനെ കുലുക്കണമെന്ന ചിന്ത നിനക്കു എങ്ങനെ ഉദിക്കും?

Word by Word

• दानवेश: O lord of the Dānavas
• दानवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• शिवप्राप्तिः: attainment of Śiva
• शिवप्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक); शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• भावभक्त्या: by heartfelt devotion
• भावभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक); भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• जायते: arises/comes about
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चालयितुम्: to move/shake
• चालयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive), परस्मैपदी-धातु

• बुद्धिः: intention/idea
• बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Avyaya (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (genitive singular of 2nd person pronoun)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/साधारण-भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (addressing the Dānava lord; inferred from immediate context before Vyāsa’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dānavendra (lord of Dānavas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern yet compassionate admonition to the Dānava-lord: Śiva stands unmoved, serene, while the speaker points to the heart as the true gateway.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dānaveśa (Dānava lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is attained through sincere inner devotion (bhāva-bhakti), not through force or arrogance; hence one should abandon hostile intent toward the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is doctrinal—on devotion to Śiva within the Dharmāraṇya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse elevates bhakti (devotional disposition) as the essential means.