Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

कथंकारं हि ते नाम भजंते नैव तं हरम् । अथ वा भीतसंसाराः सर्वे विप्र यतो जनाः

Transliteration

kathaṃkāraṃ hi te nāma bhajaṃte naiva taṃ haram | atha vā bhītasaṃsārāḥ sarve vipra yato janāḥ

Translation

Paano nila sinasamba ang “pawang salita” at hindi ang Hara na iyon? O sa halip—yamang ang lahat ng tao’y natatakot sa pag-iral sa sansara, O brāhmaṇa, nararapat silang bumaling sa Kaniya.

Word by Word

• कथंकारम्: the ‘how’ (mere questioning/why-ness)
• कथंकारम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथम् + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (कथं-कारम् = कथं इति प्रकारः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नाम: indeed/just
• नाम: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/assurance)

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

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• एव: certainly/only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हरम्: Hara (Śiva)
• हरम्: Apposition to object (कर्म-उपपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्तावार्थक अव्यय (then/now)

• वा: or
• वा: Connector (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• भीतसंसाराः: afraid of saṃsāra
• भीतसंसाराः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संसारात् भीताः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• यतः: because/whence
• यतः: Causal adverbial (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/अपादानार्थक (because/from which)

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

Speaker

Unclear from snippet (context suggests a character within the narrative speaking to a brāhmaṇa); defaulting to Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) as narrator

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (addressed as ‘vipra’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa addressed; crowds engaged in noisy debate or ritualized ‘talk’, contrasted with a calm shrine of Hara where frightened people seek refuge; visual tension between clamorous speech and silent devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not replace devotion with sterile argument; saṃsāra’s fear is healed by turning to Hara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral-spiritual admonition favoring worship over quarrelsome reasoning.