Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

तत्र पाशुपतो भूत्वा शिवाराधनतत्परः । स्वायंभुवं महाकालं पूजयन्वर्ततेऽधुना

Transliteration

tatra pāśupato bhūtvā śivārādhanatatparaḥ | svāyaṃbhuvaṃ mahākālaṃ pūjayanvartate'dhunā

Translation

وہاں وہ پاشوپت بھکت بن کر شیو کی آرادھنا میں یکسو ہو گیا؛ اور آج بھی وہ سویمبھُو پرمیشور مہاکال کی پوجا میں لگا رہتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• पाशुपतः: a Pāśupata (follower of Paśupati)
• पाशुपतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल — gerund/absolutive ‘having become’

• शिव: of Śiva
• शिव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) — masculine genitive singular (as prior member)

• आराधन: worship
• आराधन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → आराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) — neuter stem ‘worship’ (as compound member)

• तत्परः: devoted (intent)
• तत्परः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; ‘devoted/intent’

• शिवाराधनतत्परः: intent on worship of Śiva
• शिवाराधनतत्परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आराधन + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘शिवस्य आराधने तत्परः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• स्वायंभुवम्: self-manifest
• स्वायंभुवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (महान् कालः): पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• पूजन्: worshipping
• पूजन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — present active participle ‘worshipping’

• वर्तते: he remains/continues
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — present indicative, 3rd sg, middle

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of time

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Babhru-pāvana (contextual tīrtha-name emerges in v.107)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee newly turned Pāśupata stands before a dark, self-manifest Mahākāla Liṅga, offering bilva leaves and water; the shrine glows with lamp-light while time itself is suggested by a subtle kala-chakra motif.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata
• Śiva
• Mahākāla
• Svayambhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady devotion to Śiva—especially to a svayambhū form—transforms life and establishes enduring spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guptakṣetra, where Mahākāla (svayambhū) is worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-ārādhana and Mahākāla-pūjā (worship of Mahākāla), aligned with the Pāśupata devotional mode.