Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

उत्तरीयं च संदध्याद्विना तन्निष्फलार्चनम् । भस्मत्रिपुण्ड्रधारी च ललाटे हृति चांसयोः

Transliteration

uttarīyaṃ ca saṃdadhyādvinā tanniṣphalārcanam | bhasmatripuṇḍradhārī ca lalāṭe hṛti cāṃsayoḥ

Translation

ഉത്തരീയം (മേൽവസ്ത്രം) ധരിക്കണം; അതില്ലെങ്കിൽ അർച്ചനം നിഷ്ഫലമാകും. ഭസ്മത്രിപുണ്ഡ്രം ധരിച്ചു ലലാട്ടത്തിൽ, ഹൃദയത്തിൽ, ഇരുചുമലുകളിൽ ധരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• उत्तरीयम्: upper cloth
• उत्तरीयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• संदध्यात्: should put on/arrange
• संदध्यात्: Kriya (Injunction/विधि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः—सम्

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वर्जन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोग/वर्जनार्थक उपपद; तृतीया/पञ्चमी-अर्थे प्रयोगः

• तत्: that (i.e., it)
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निष्फलार्चनम्: (it is) fruitless worship
• निष्फलार्चनम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्फल + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—निष्फलम् अर्चनम् (कर्मधारय)

• भस्मत्रिपुण्ड्रधारी: wearing the ash tripuṇḍra marks
• भस्मत्रिपुण्ड्रधारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म + त्रिपुण्ड्र + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अध्याहृतः साधकः); समासः—भस्मस्य त्रिपुण्ड्रं धारयति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• हृति: on the chest/heart-region
• हृति: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; (हृदय-देशे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अंसयोः: on the two shoulders
• अंसयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), द्विवचन

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee drapes an uttarīya and applies three horizontal ash lines (tripuṇḍra) on forehead, chest, and shoulders; the temple sanctum glows behind, indicating readiness for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Śiva
• Bhasma
• Tripuṇḍra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer discipline—proper dress and sacred marks—supports inner reverence; Śiva-worship should be done with complete ritual propriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it presents general Śaiva temple-worship protocol within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wear an upper garment and apply tripuṇḍra with bhasma on the forehead, chest, and shoulders before worship.