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

وہ لوگ محض ‘باتوں’ ہی کو کیسے پوجتے ہیں اور اُس ہَر (شیو) کو نہیں؟ یا پھر—اے برہمن—چونکہ سبھی لوگ سنسار کے خوف سے لرزاں ہیں، (انہیں اسی کی طرف رجوع کرنا چاہیے)۔

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.