Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

उषस्युषसि तन्वंगी शिवद्वाररता सदा । संमार्जनं च कुरुते भक्त्या परमया युता

Transliteration

uṣasyuṣasi tanvaṃgī śivadvāraratā sadā | saṃmārjanaṃ ca kurute bhaktyā paramayā yutā

Translation

Pada setiap fajar, gadis bertubuh ramping itu, sentiasa terpaut pada ambang pintu Śiva, akan menyapu dan membersihkan dengan bhakti yang paling luhur.

Word by Word

• उषसि: at dawn
• उषसि: अधिकरण (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक-प्रयोगः

• उषसि: at dawn (again)
• उषसि: अधिकरण (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्तिः (emphatic repetition)

• तन्वङ्गी: slender-limbed
• तन्वङ्गी: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनु + अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘having a slender body/limbs’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• शिवद्वाररता: devoted at Śiva’s doorway
• शिवद्वाररता: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + द्वार + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘devoted to/engaged at Śiva’s door’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्व-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• संमार्जनम्: sweeping/cleaning
• संमार्जनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + मृज् (धातु) → संमार्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-नाम (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• परमया: supreme, utmost
• परमया: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भक्त्या इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• युता: endowed (with)
• युता: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘युक्ता’ इत्यर्थः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-dvāra-sevā (temple-threshold service) within Kedāra/Kāśī Śaiva ethos

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal audience of Kedārakhaṇḍa dialogue frame (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At first light, Sundarī in simple attire sweeps the temple threshold of Śiva, lamp flames flicker, flowers and bilva leaves nearby; her posture is humble, face serene, absorbed in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-dvāra
• Sundarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular, humble service performed with supreme devotion becomes a direct form of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra Śiva-sphere is praised through the sanctity of serving at Śiva’s very threshold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uṣaḥkāla-sevā: dawn-time saṃmārjana (daily sweeping/cleaning) at the Śiva temple entrance.