Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एवं बहुतरः कालस्तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः । गतो हि सफलो विप्राः शिवपूजारतस्य वै

Transliteration

evaṃ bahutaraḥ kālastasya rājño mahātmanaḥ | gato hi saphalo viprāḥ śivapūjāratasya vai

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ! ഇങ്ങനെ ആ മഹാത്മാവായ രാജാവിന്റെ ദീർഘകാലം സഫലമായി കടന്നു; കാരണം അദ്ദേഹം സത്യമായി ശിവപൂജയിൽ നിരതനായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• bahutaraḥ: a very long/greater (amount of)
• bahutaraḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahutara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative)

• kālaḥ: time
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• rājñaḥ: of the king
• rājñaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive-qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषण (राज्ञः इति विशेष्य)

• gataḥ: passed (went by)
• gataḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे 'gone/passed'

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• saphalaḥ: fruitful
• saphalaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सः फलवान्)

• viprāḥ: O brahmins
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (हे विप्राः)

• śiva-pūjā-ratasya: of (him) devoted to Śiva-worship
• śiva-pūjā-ratasya: Sambandha (Genitive-qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + rata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शिवस्य पूजायां रतः)

• vai: indeed/truly
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Lomaśa (narration continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ / Brahmins

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great-souled king steadily performing Śiva-pūjā over years—lamps, flowers, bilva leaves—while seasons pass, indicating long, fruitful time.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śveta (king)
• Vipras (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life becomes ‘successful’ (saphala) when anchored in sustained worship of Śiva and righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s sacred narrative frame; no individual tirtha is singled out here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjā (worship of Śiva) is highlighted as the king’s defining practice.