Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तस्माद्भाव्या शिवे भक्तिः सर्वेषामपि देहिनाम् । पशवोऽपि हि पूज्याः स्युः किं पुनर्मानवाभुवि

Transliteration

tasmādbhāvyā śive bhaktiḥ sarveṣāmapi dehinām | paśavo'pi hi pūjyāḥ syuḥ kiṃ punarmānavābhuvi

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ദേഹധാരികളായ എല്ലാവരും ശിവഭക്തി വളർത്തണം. ശിവസംബന്ധം കൊണ്ടു മൃഗങ്ങളും പൂജ്യരാകുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, ഭൂമിയിലെ മനുഷ്യർ എത്ര അധികം പൂജ്യരാകും!

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे (ablatival sense) "therefore/from that"

• भाव्या: to be done/should be (to be cultivated)
• भाव्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of भक्ति)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → भाव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• शिवे: in/for Śiva
• शिवे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-रूपेण (subject)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे

• पशवः: animals
• पशवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (even/also)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ (indeed/for)

• पूज्याः: worthy of worship
• पूज्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier of पशवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• स्युः: may be/should be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-प्रयोगः (interrogative particle)

• पुनः: then; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थे/अधिक्ये (again/more so)

• मानवाभुवि: on the human earth/in the world of humans
• मानवाभुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक) + भुवि/भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवि = loc. of भू/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (भूमि), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मानवानां भुवि)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan Kedāra landscape with pilgrims offering bilva leaves to a liṅga; animals (a bull, deer, birds) calmly present, suggesting sanctity extending to all beings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• dehin (embodied beings)
• paśu (animals)
• mānava (humans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti to Śiva is universally accessible and elevating; it ennobles all beings and especially calls humans to higher dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s Kedāra glorification, presenting the universal reach of Śiva’s sanctity within that pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription is given: cultivate devotion to Śiva (śiva-bhakti), without specifying a particular rite.