Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

नोपोषिता शिवतिथिर्न कृतं शिवपूजनम् । भूतसौहृदं न जानाति न च बिल्वशिवार्पणम् । नेष्टापूर्तादिकं वापि कथमेनां निनीषथ

Transliteration

nopoṣitā śivatithirna kṛtaṃ śivapūjanam | bhūtasauhṛdaṃ na jānāti na ca bilvaśivārpaṇam | neṣṭāpūrtādikaṃ vāpi kathamenāṃ ninīṣatha

Translation

她未曾在湿婆的神圣月日（tithi）守斋，也未曾行湿婆礼拜。她不知怜悯众生，亦不知以毕婆叶（bilva）奉献湿婆。她也未修行祭祀与公益功德（iṣṭa、pūrta）等——你们又怎能将她引至至上境界？

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• upoṣitā: (was) fasted/observed (as a fast)
• upoṣitā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√vas (उप + वस् धातु) → upoṣita (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), ‘उपोषित’ = उपवासः कृतः

• śiva-tithiḥ: Śiva’s lunar day (Śiva-tithi)
• śiva-tithiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘शिवस्य तिथिः’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

• śiva-pūjanam: worship of Śiva
• śiva-pūjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘शिवस्य पूजनम्’

• bhūta-sauhṛdam: friendliness toward beings
• bhūta-sauhṛdam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + sauhṛda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘भूतानां सौहृदम्’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• jānāti: knows
• jānāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bilva-śiva-arpaṇam: offering bilva (leaves) to Śiva
• bilva-śiva-arpaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + arpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सम्बन्धः: ‘शिवाय बिल्वस्य अर्पणम्’/‘बिल्वपत्र-शिवार्पणम्’)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• iṣṭa-apūrta-ādikam: (acts of) iṣṭa and apūrta etc. (rituals and charities)
• iṣṭa-apūrta-ādikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + apūrta (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (इतरेतर) ‘इष्टं च अपूर्तं च’ + ‘आदि’ (etc.)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• enām: her
• enām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enām = इमाम्)

• ninīṣatha: do you wish to lead/take (her)
• ninīṣatha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (नी धातु) + desiderative ninīṣ (सन्नन्त)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन; सन्नन्त-धातु (desiderative) ‘नेतुम् इच्छथ’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/speaker addressing Śiva’s messengers (context: a questioning interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern dharma-assessor (or messenger of Yama) enumerates omissions: no Śiva-tithi fast, no Śiva-pūjā, no bilva offering, no kindness to beings, no iṣṭa–pūrta; the accused woman stands humbled, while a distant Śiva-liṅga with bilva branch symbolizes the neglected path.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivadūta (implied)
• Bilva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External markers of merit (vrata, pūjā, charity) are questioned, setting up the teaching that Śiva’s grace can transcend ordinary calculations of worthiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on Śaiva observance (tithi-vrata, bilva offering) and dharmic merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing Śiva-tithi fasting, performing Śiva-pūjā, and offering bilva leaves to Śiva; also the broader category of iṣṭa-pūrta acts.