Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

आराधनं तस्य केचिद्योगमार्गेण कुर्वते । दुःखसाध्यं हि तत्तेषां नित्यं शून्यमुपासताम्

Transliteration

ārādhanaṃ tasya kecidyogamārgeṇa kurvate | duḥkhasādhyaṃ hi tatteṣāṃ nityaṃ śūnyamupāsatām

Translation

ചിലർ യോഗമാർഗ്ഗത്തിലൂടെ അവനെ ആരാധിക്കുന്നു; എന്നാൽ നിത്യം ശൂന്യതയെ ഉപാസിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് ആ সাধന തീർച്ചയായും ദുഃഖസാധ്യവും കഠിനവുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• आराधनम्: worship / propitiation
• आराधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराधन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव) < आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (act of propitiation)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• योगमार्गेण: by the path of yoga
• योगमार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (योगस्य मार्गेण)

• कुर्वते: do / perform
• कुर्वते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दुःखसाध्यम्: attainable only with difficulty
• दुःखसाध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + साध्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) < साध् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दुःखेन साध्यम्)

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (particle of emphasis/reason)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अन्वयः—आराधनम् (that worship)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• शून्यम्: the void / emptiness
• शून्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपास्य-वस्तु

• उपासताम्: of those who worship/meditate upon
• उपासताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त) → उपासद्/उपासत्; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary yogin attempting śūnya-dhyāna in a stark, empty space, showing strain; contrasted implicitly with a devotee before a Śiva-liṅga experiencing steadiness and ease.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Yoga-mārga
• Śūnya (emptiness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and concrete worship are presented as more accessible than severe, abstract contemplations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on modes of worship rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit contrast: prefer practicable worship of Śiva (developed explicitly in the next verses as liṅga-arcana).