Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

जटाधरस्तपस्यंश्च शिवाराधनतत्परः । इत्थं मे कुर्वतो जातं पुनर्भूप प्रमापणम्

Transliteration

jaṭādharastapasyaṃśca śivārādhanatatparaḥ | itthaṃ me kurvato jātaṃ punarbhūpa pramāpaṇam

Translation

ജടാധാരിയായി, തപസ്സിൽ നിരതനായി, ശിവാരാധനയിൽ പരമതത്പരനായി—ഇങ്ങനെ ഞാൻ ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഹേ രാജാവേ, എനിക്ക് വീണ്ടും മരണം സംഭവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• jaṭādharaḥ: wearing matted locks
• jaṭādharaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जटां धरति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tapasyaṃś: doing penance
• tapasyaṃś: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + ya (धातु √ya/य) → tapasya (धात्वर्थे)
• Form: वर्तमानकाल (लट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तरूपेण ‘tapasyaṃś’ (प्रथमा एकवचन पुं) used as participle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• śiva: Śiva
• śiva: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• ārādhana: worship, propitiation
• ārādhana: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā + rādh (धातु) → ārādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासमध्यपद)

• tatparaḥ: intent on, devoted
• tatparaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘tat-para’ = devoted to that

• śivārādhanatatparaḥ: devoted to worship of Śiva
• śivārādhanatatparaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva + ārādhana + tatpara (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवाराधने तत्परः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• itthaṃ: thus, in this manner
• itthaṃ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• me: of me, my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन (enclitic)

• kurvataḥ: of (me) doing
• kurvataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kurvat (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन; ‘while I was doing’

• jātaṃ: arose, happened
• jātaṃ: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; predicate with pramāpaṇam

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• bhūpa: O king
• bhūpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• pramāpaṇam: destruction, causing death
• pramāpaṇam: Karta/Phrase-head (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra + mā (धातु) → pramāpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; abstract noun ‘causing death/destruction’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jaṭādhara ascetic, ash-smeared, absorbed in Śiva-pūjā; a subtle, shadow-like figure of Death approaches, while the ascetic remains composed—signaling inevitability and inner steadiness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even with tapas and devotion, the cycle of death continues until higher realization; sustained Śiva-bhakti remains the guiding path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse centers on ascetic devotion to Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas), jaṭā-dhāraṇa, and dedicated Śivārādhana are described as a devotional regimen.