Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वाणिक्संपूजयामास त्रिकालं च कृतादरः । सर्वधर्प्रविशेवज्ञः साक्षाद्धर्म इवापरः

Transliteration

vāṇiksaṃpūjayāmāsa trikālaṃ ca kṛtādaraḥ | sarvadharpraviśevajñaḥ sākṣāddharma ivāparaḥ

Translation

ਇੱਕ ਵਣਜਾਰੇ ਨੇ ਪੂਰੇ ਆਦਰ ਨਾਲ ਤਿੰਨ ਵੇਲਿਆਂ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕੀਤੀ। ਉਹ ਹਰ ਧਰਮ-ਕਰਤਵ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਵੇਸ਼ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਿਪੁੰਨ ਸੀ—ਮਾਨੋ ਧਰਮ ਹੀ ਦੂਜੇ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਵੇ।

Word by Word

• वाणिक्: the merchant
• वाणिक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणिज्/वाणिक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine Nom sg

• सम्पूजयामास: worshipped, duly honored
• सम्पूजयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person sg, parasmaipada

• त्रिकालम्: at the three times (daily)
• त्रिकालम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमास — Neuter Acc sg; dvigu compound used adverbially

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृत-आदरः: with reverence, respectful
• कृत-आदरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु, क्त) + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (कृतः आदरः यस्य) — Masculine Nom sg; ‘having shown reverence’

• सर्व-धर्म-प्रवेश-ज्ञः: knower of all dharma’s inner meaning
• सर्व-धर्म-प्रवेश-ज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास — Masculine Nom sg; ‘knower of the entry/essence of all dharmas’

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: directly/manifestly)

• धर्मः: Dharma (righteousness personified)
• धर्मः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine Nom sg

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• अपरः: another, second
• अपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine Nom sg

Speaker

Nārada (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapileśvara/Nandabhadra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prosperous merchant, humble in posture, performs worship at dawn, noon, and dusk—offering water, flowers, incense, and lamp before the liṅga; his face shows steady reverence and disciplined calm.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra (liṅga)
• Kapileśvara
• Merchant (vāṇik)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady daily worship (trikāla-pūjā) and practical dharma can make an ordinary householder shine as an embodiment of righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bahūdaka tirtha’s Śiva-liṅga (Kapileśvara/Nandabhadra) is the focus of worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Trikāla-pūjā—worship performed three times daily.