Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

सकामानां च भूतानां दुर्लभो हि सदाशिवः । तपसा परमेणैव गर्वितेयं सुमध्यमा

Transliteration

sakāmānāṃ ca bhūtānāṃ durlabho hi sadāśivaḥ | tapasā parameṇaiva garviteyaṃ sumadhyamā

Translation

കാമനകളാൽ പ്രേരിതരായ ജീവികൾക്ക് സദാശിവൻ തീർച്ചയായും ദുർലഭൻ. ഈ സുമധ്യമാ പരമതപസ്സിനാൽ മാത്രമേ ഗർവിതയായുള്ളൂ.

Word by Word

• sa-kāmānām: of desire-filled (beings)
• sa-kāmānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘सह कामैः’ → ‘कामयुक्त’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• bhūtānām: of beings
• bhūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• durlabhaḥ: hard to obtain
• durlabhaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘दुष्टं/कठिनं लभ्यः’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

• sadāśivaḥ: Sadāśiva
• sadāśivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadā-śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• parameṇa: supreme
• parameṇa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘supreme’ (agreeing with तपसा)

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (only/just)

• garvitā: proud
• garvitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: garv (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘made proud / proud’

• iyam: this (woman)
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• su-madhyamā: slender-waisted woman
• su-madhyamā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + madhyamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘सु-मध्यमा’ (having a lovely/slender waist); स्त्री-सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fair-waisted ascetic woman stands after severe austerities—matted hair, thin frame, fire-altars—yet a subtle aura of pride shows in posture; in the distance, Sadāśiva remains remote, approachable only through humility.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire obstructs realization of Śiva; even tapas should culminate in humility, not pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred milieu is implied; this verse centers on inner qualification rather than a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) is referenced generally, without a specific vrata or procedure.