Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

उपचारैः षोडशभिर्लिंगरूपी सदा शिवः । पूज्यः प्रदोषवेलायां नृभिः सर्वार्थसिद्धये

Transliteration

upacāraiḥ ṣoḍaśabhirliṃgarūpī sadā śivaḥ | pūjyaḥ pradoṣavelāyāṃ nṛbhiḥ sarvārthasiddhaye

Translation

പ്രദോഷസമയത്ത് ഷോഡശോപചാരങ്ങളാൽ ലിംഗരൂപനായ സദാശിവനെ മനുഷ്യർ പൂജിക്കണം; സർവാർത്ഥസിദ്ധി ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• उपचारैः: with offerings/services
• उपचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• षोडशभिः: with sixteen
• षोडशभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Numeral adjective, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• लिङ्गरूपी: in the form of the liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषण

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — temporal adverb

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• पूज्यः: to be worshipped
• पूज्यः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्/य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — gerundive/obligatory passive participle; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रदोषवेलायाम्: at the time of pradoṣa (twilight)
• प्रदोषवेलायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष (प्रातिपदिक) + वेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• नृभिः: by men/devotees
• नृभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्ता-करण-भावे), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• सर्वार्थसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of all aims
• सर्वार्थसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन — Feminine, Dative (4th), Singular

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-ādi audience (Purāṇic setting)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Himalayan Kedāra, devotees perform ṣoḍaśopacāra pūjā to a stone liṅga at pradoṣa twilight; lamps flicker, incense rises, snow-peaks glow faintly behind the temple.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• Liṅga
• Pradoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, complete worship of the Liṅga at sacred times aligns life with dharma and supports the fulfillment of worthy aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra in the Skanda Purana’s Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradoṣa-kāla worship of the Śiva Liṅga with the sixteen upacāras (ṣoḍaśopacāra).