Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

हृत्पुंडरीकांतरसन्निविष्टं स्वतेजसा व्याप्तनभोवकाशम् । अतींद्रियं सूक्ष्ममनंतमाद्यं ध्यायेत्परानंदमयं महेशम्

Transliteration

hṛtpuṃḍarīkāṃtarasanniviṣṭaṃ svatejasā vyāptanabhovakāśam | atīṃdriyaṃ sūkṣmamanaṃtamādyaṃ dhyāyetparānaṃdamayaṃ maheśam

Translation

ليتأمّل المرءُ في ماهيشا القاطن في لوتس القلب؛ الذي بنوره الذاتي يملأ فسحة السماء والفضاء—متجاوزًا الحواس، لطيفًا، لا نهائيًا، الربّ الأوّل—وذاتُه هي النعيم الأعلى.

Word by Word

• hṛt-puṇḍarīka-antara-sanniviṣṭam: situated within the lotus of the heart
• hṛt-puṇḍarīka-antara-sanniviṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇḍarīka (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक) + sanniviṣṭa (कृदन्त; √viś (धातु) उपसर्ग: sam+ni)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृत् (क्त), विशेषण; समासः—षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (हृत्पुंडरीकस्य अन्तरे सन्निविष्टम्)

• sva-tejasā: by (his) own radiance
• sva-tejasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-प्रयोग (instrumental: 'by/with one's own radiance')

• vyāpta-nabhaḥ-avakāśam: pervading the expanse of the sky
• vyāpta-nabhaḥ-avakāśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyāpta (कृदन्त; √āp (धातु) उपसर्ग: vi) + nabhas (प्रातिपदिक) + avakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृत् (क्त) विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (नभोवकाशः = नभसि अवकाशः; व्याप्तः नभोवकाशः)

• atīndriyam: beyond the senses
• atīndriyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियातीतम्)

• sūkṣmam: subtle
• sūkṣmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• anantam: endless
• anantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ādyam: primordial
• ādyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• dhyāyet: should meditate (upon)
• dhyāyet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• para-ānanda-mayam: consisting of supreme bliss
• para-ānanda-mayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (परः आनन्दः यस्य/यत्र, तन्मयम्)

• maheśam: Mahēśa (the Great Lord)
• maheśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् ईशः)

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (contextual instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in padmāsana; within his chest a luminous lotus opens, revealing Maheśa as a subtle radiant presence whose light expands to fill the sky-like space around.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is to be realized inwardly—meditated upon as the indwelling, sense-transcending, infinite bliss within the heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it emphasizes internal pilgrimage—contemplation of Śiva in the heart.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is dhyāna (meditation) on Maheśa as the supreme, subtle, all-pervading reality.