Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ये द्विषंति महादेवं संसारार्णवतारकम् । सुमहात्पातकोपेतास्ते यांति नरकाग्निषु

Transliteration

ye dviṣaṃti mahādevaṃ saṃsārārṇavatārakam | sumahātpātakopetāste yāṃti narakāgniṣu

Translation

സംസാരസമുദ്രം കടത്തുന്ന മഹാദേവനെ ദ്വേഷിക്കുന്നവർ അതിമഹാപാപങ്ങളാൽ ഭാരിതരായി നരകാഗ്നികളിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

• dviṣanti: hate
• dviṣanti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dviṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• mahādevam: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• mahādevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.); महा + देव (descriptive)

• saṃsāra-arṇava-tārakam: the savior from the ocean of worldly existence
• saṃsāra-arṇava-tārakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃsāra + arṇava + tāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; संसारार्णवतारक = संसार-रूप-अर्णवस्य तारकः (determinative)

• su-mahāt-pātaka-upetāḥ: endowed with very great sins
• su-mahāt-pātaka-upetāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahāt + pātaka + upeta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपेत (kta from upa√i) = युक्त/समन्वित; सुमहात्पातकोपेत = सुमहत्-पातकेन उपेताः

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

• yānti: go
• yānti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• naraka-agniṣu: in the fires of hell
• naraka-agniṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (loc. pl.); नरकाग्नि = नरकस्य अग्नयः

Speaker

Mahākāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: Mahādeva as compassionate ferryman across a dark ocean of saṃsāra, contrasted with figures turning away in hatred and falling toward fiery hell realms.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Blasphemy and hatred toward Śiva, the liberating Lord, is treated as a grave fault with severe karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse glorifies Mahādeva’s salvific role rather than a geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the practical prescription is reverence and devotion toward Mahādeva and avoidance of hatred.