Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 194

Devanagari script

शैलादेन पुरा प्रोक्तं शिवधर्ममनंतकम् । प्राणिनां कृपया विप्राः सर्वेषां दुष्कृतात्मनाम्

Transliteration

śailādena purā proktaṃ śivadharmamanaṃtakam | prāṇināṃ kṛpayā viprāḥ sarveṣāṃ duṣkṛtātmanām

Translation

അല്ലയോ ബ്രാഹ്മണരേ, പണ്ട് ശൈലാദൻ എല്ലാ ജീവജാലങ്ങളോടും, ദുഷ്ടരോട് പോലും കരുണയോടെ അനന്തമായ ശിവധർമ്മം ഉപദേശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• śailādena: by Śailāda
• śailādena: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śailāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• proktam: spoken/declared
• proktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• śivadharmam: Śiva’s dharma; Śiva-dharma
• śivadharmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śivasya dharmaḥ)

• anantakam: endless
• anantakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prāṇinām: of living beings
• prāṇinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kṛpayā: out of compassion
• kṛpayā: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• duṣkṛtātmanām: of those whose nature is sinful; evil-souled
• duṣkṛtātmanām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣkṛta + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थ (duṣkṛtaḥ ātmā yeṣām)

Speaker

Lomaśa (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Śailāda, serene and compassionate, teaches a gathered crowd of varied people; the backdrop suggests a Himalayan hermitage near Kedāra, with Śiva’s presence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Śailāda
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s dharma is presented as limitless and compassionately accessible even to those burdened by wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedārakhaṇḍa, the broader setting is Kedāra/Kedāranātha and its Śaiva greatness, though this verse itself focuses on Śiva-dharma’s universality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it introduces the compassionate transmission of Śiva-dharma.