Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

संसेवितुं सुखप्राप्त्यै ह्येक एव सदाशिवः । शिवरात्र्युपवासेन प्राप्तो ज्ञानमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

saṃsevituṃ sukhaprāptyai hyeka eva sadāśivaḥ | śivarātryupavāsena prāpto jñānamanuttamam

Translation

യഥാർത്ഥ ക്ഷേമം ലഭിക്കുവാൻ സേവിക്കേണ്ടത് ഏകമാത്രൻ സദാശിവൻ തന്നേ. ശിവരാത്രി ഉപവാസംകൊണ്ട് അവൻ അനുത്തമമായ ആത്മജ്ഞാനം പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• संसेवितुम्: to serve/attend upon
• संसेवितुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive), क्रियार्थक-अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• सुखप्राप्त्यै: for the attainment of happiness
• सुखप्राप्त्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थे (for the sake of)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-भावे

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• एव: only/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (restrictive particle)

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संज्ञा

• शिवरात्रि-उपवासेन: by the fast of Śivarātri
• शिवरात्रि-उपवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणार्थे (instrumental/means)

• प्राप्तः: attained
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (having attained)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्ञानस्य)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king/ṛṣi audience within the Kedāra narrative frame (unspecified in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan shrine setting: a king-devotee performs Śivarātri fast with folded hands before a liṅga, lamps burning through the night, snow-peaks and cedar silhouettes behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion to Sadāśiva, supported by Śivarātri fasting, ripens into highest knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred domain (Kedārakhaṇḍa), where Śivarātri’s greatness is taught as a kṣetra-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri-upavāsa (fasting/observance on Śivarātri).