Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

एवं संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन्भ्रमिता बहवो जनाः । यदृच्छया दैवगत्या शिवं संसेवते नरः

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃsāracakre'sminbhramitā bahavo janāḥ | yadṛcchayā daivagatyā śivaṃ saṃsevate naraḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ഈ സംസാരചക്രത്തിൽ അനേകർ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിയുന്നു; എന്നാൽ സദ്ഭാഗ്യവശാൽ—ദൈവഗതിയാൽ—ഒരാൾ ശിവനെ സേവിച്ച് ഉപാസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

• संसारचक्रे: in the wheel of saṃsāra
• संसारचक्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘संसारस्य चक्रम्’

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भ्रमिताः: wandered/been led astray
• भ्रमिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘भ्रमिताः’ = having been made to wander / wandered

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying janāḥ)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• यदृच्छया: by chance
• यदृच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/उपायः (by chance)

• दैवगत्या: by the course of destiny
• दैवगत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव + गति (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘दैवस्य गतिः’ = course of fate

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• संसेवते: serves/worships
• संसेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas / pilgrims-instruction audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast saṃsāra wheel with crowds wandering; one pilgrim, guided by a subtle divine current, turns toward a radiant Śiva-liṅga in a Himalayan shrine—symbolizing the rare turn to Śiva-sevā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Turning toward Śiva is portrayed as a grace-filled turning point that interrupts long wandering in saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the implied sacred landscape where Śiva-sevā becomes accessible through divine providence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-sevā (service/worship) is recommended in principle, without specifying a particular rite in this verse.