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Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

अन्यथा निष्फलं सर्वं श्रद्धाहीनं तु भारत । तस्मात्समाश्रयेद्भक्तिं रुद्रस्य परमेष्ठिनः

anyathā niṣphalaṃ sarvaṃ śraddhāhīnaṃ tu bhārata | tasmātsamāśrayedbhaktiṃ rudrasya parameṣṭhinaḥ

โอ ภารตะ หากปราศจากศรัทธาแล้ว การกระทำทั้งปวงย่อมไร้ผล ดังนั้นพึงพึ่งพาภักติแด่พระรุทระ ผู้เป็นพระเป็นเจ้าสูงสุด

अन्यथाotherwise
अन्यथा:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanyathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘अन्यथा’ = otherwise
निष्फलम्fruitless
निष्फलम्:
Karta-pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Subject complement/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootniṣphala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicative)
सर्वम्everything
सर्वम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द (pronoun)
श्रद्धाहीनम्devoid of faith
श्रद्धाहीनम्:
Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśraddhā-hīna (प्रातिपदिक: श्रद्धा + हीन)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्रद्धायाः हीनम् = devoid of faith)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात/particle): विरोध/अन्वयार्थे ‘but/indeed’
भारतO Bhārata
भारत:
Sambodhana (Address/संबोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootbhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन
तस्मात्therefore
तस्मात्:
Hetu/Upapatti (Reason marker/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottasmāt (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: tad)
Formअव्यय-प्रयोग (तस्मात् = therefore/from that); हेत्वर्थ/निष्कर्षार्थ (consequential)
समाश्रयेत्should resort to
समाश्रयेत्:
Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam-ā-śri (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: श्रि (आश्रये) उपसर्ग: सम्+आ
भक्तिम्devotion
भक्तिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन
रुद्रस्यof Rudra
रुद्रस्य:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootrudra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन
परमेष्ठिनःof the Supreme Lord
परमेष्ठिनः:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootparameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बन्धे (appositional genitive to ‘रुद्रस्य’)

Mārkaṇḍeya

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Scene: A pilgrim-priest instructs a devotee: offerings and rites appear dim and barren when done without faith; when the devotee turns to Rudra with folded hands, the same acts glow with sanctity.

M
Mārkaṇḍeya
B
Bhārata
R
Rudra
P
Parameṣṭhin

FAQs

Without śraddhā, even elaborate religious acts fail; bhakti to Rudra is the reliable refuge and path.

No single location is named; the verse supports the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader Shaiva devotional ethos tied to sacred geographies.

The instruction is to adopt Rudra-bhakti (devotion to Śiva) as one’s primary spiritual reliance, implying worship and remembrance with faith.