Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

जटाधरस्तपस्यंश्च शिवाराधनतत्परः । इत्थं मे कुर्वतो जातं पुनर्भूप प्रमापणम्

Transliteration

jaṭādharastapasyaṃśca śivārādhanatatparaḥ | itthaṃ me kurvato jātaṃ punarbhūpa pramāpaṇam

Translation

Dengan rambut berjunta, beramal tapa, dan tekun dalam pemujaan kepada Śiva—tatkala aku hidup demikian, wahai Raja, kematian datang kepadaku sekali lagi.

Word by Word

• jaṭādharaḥ: wearing matted locks
• jaṭādharaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जटां धरति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tapasyaṃś: doing penance
• tapasyaṃś: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + ya (धातु √ya/य) → tapasya (धात्वर्थे)
• Form: वर्तमानकाल (लट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तरूपेण ‘tapasyaṃś’ (प्रथमा एकवचन पुं) used as participle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• śiva: Śiva
• śiva: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (समासपूर्वपद)

• ārādhana: worship, propitiation
• ārādhana: Samasa-member (Compound part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā + rādh (धातु) → ārādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासमध्यपद)

• tatparaḥ: intent on, devoted
• tatparaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘tat-para’ = devoted to that

• śivārādhanatatparaḥ: devoted to worship of Śiva
• śivārādhanatatparaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva + ārādhana + tatpara (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवाराधने तत्परः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• itthaṃ: thus, in this manner
• itthaṃ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• me: of me, my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन (enclitic)

• kurvataḥ: of (me) doing
• kurvataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kurvat (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन; ‘while I was doing’

• jātaṃ: arose, happened
• jātaṃ: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; predicate with pramāpaṇam

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• bhūpa: O king
• bhūpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• pramāpaṇam: destruction, causing death
• pramāpaṇam: Karta/Phrase-head (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra + mā (धातु) → pramāpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन; abstract noun ‘causing death/destruction’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jaṭādhara ascetic, ash-smeared, absorbed in Śiva-pūjā; a subtle, shadow-like figure of Death approaches, while the ascetic remains composed—signaling inevitability and inner steadiness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even with tapas and devotion, the cycle of death continues until higher realization; sustained Śiva-bhakti remains the guiding path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse centers on ascetic devotion to Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas), jaṭā-dhāraṇa, and dedicated Śivārādhana are described as a devotional regimen.