Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

हर उवाच । चतुर्विधा भजंते मां जनाः सुकृतिनः सदा । आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च द्विजसत्तम

Transliteration

hara uvāca | caturvidhā bhajaṃte māṃ janāḥ sukṛtinaḥ sadā | ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca dvijasattama

Translation

หระตรัสว่า: โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ทวิชะ ผู้มีบุญย่อมบูชาข้าพเจ้าเสมอด้วยสี่ประการ คือ ผู้ทุกข์ร้อน ผู้ใฝ่รู้ ผู้ปรารถนาทรัพย์ผล และผู้รู้สัจธรรม

Word by Word

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चतुर्विधाः: four kinds of
• चतुर्विधाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—(चतुर्णां विधः) ‘fourfold’; विशेषण (qualifying जनाः)

• भजन्ते: worship/seek
• भजन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुकृतिनः: meritorious, virtuous
• सुकृतिनः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + कृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सु-कृतं यस्य) ‘virtuous/meritorious’; विशेषण (qualifying जनाः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• आर्तः: the distressed
• आर्तः: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (जनानां प्रकार-निर्देशः)

• जिज्ञासुः: the inquisitive (seeker of knowledge)
• जिज्ञासुः: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिज्ञासु (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative from √ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्थार्थी: the seeker of wealth
• अर्थार्थी: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (अर्थम् अर्थयते/अर्थस्य अर्थी)

• ज्ञानी: the wise/knower
• ज्ञानी: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमः)

Speaker

Śiva (Hara/Rudra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijasattama (addressed brāhmaṇa; within Dakṣa-Lomaśa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra addresses a learned brāhmaṇa (dvijasattama) with calm authority; four archetypal devotees are symbolically shown—one suffering, one studying, one seeking wealth, one serene in wisdom—arrayed around the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion arises from different human needs, but all can become a doorway to the Lord—especially when it matures into true understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra milieu, where pilgrimage and worship are framed as paths culminating in higher realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is mandated; the verse classifies motivations behind worship (bhajana).