Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

स्नातो भवति सर्वत्र ललाटे यस्त्रिपुंड्रधृक् । सप्तकोटिमहामंत्राः पंचाक्षरपुरःसराः

Transliteration

snāto bhavati sarvatra lalāṭe yastripuṃḍradhṛk | saptakoṭimahāmaṃtrāḥ paṃcākṣarapuraḥsarāḥ

Translation

أينما كان، فإن من يحمل التريپوندرَا على جبهته يُعَدّ كمن اغتسل في كل موضع من المياه المقدسة. والمانترات العظمى—سبعة كرور—يتقدمها مانترا الخمسة أحرف (Pañcākṣarī)،

Word by Word

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृत्/क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place; ‘everywhere’)

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• त्रिपुण्ड्रधृक्: wearing the tripuṇḍra
• त्रिपुण्ड्रधृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘यः’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिपुण्ड्र-धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: त्रिपुण्ड्र + धृक् < धृ-धातोः क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• सप्तकोटिमहामन्त्राः: great mantras (amounting to) seven crores
• सप्तकोटिमहामन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त-कोटि-महा-मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: सप्त + कोटि + महा + मन्त्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• पञ्चाक्षरपुरःसराः: having the five-syllabled (mantra) as their leader/foremost
• पञ्चाक्षरपुरःसराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च-अक्षर-पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: पञ्च + अक्षर + पुरःसर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Brahmottara-khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha (universal)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with bright Tripuṇḍra stands at a crossroads; around him appear translucent visions of many famous tīrthas and ghats, as if he has bathed in all; above, the Pañcākṣarī radiates like a mantra-sun.

Characters & Entities

• Tripuṇḍra
• Pañcākṣarī (Namaḥ Śivāya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Shaiva identity-markers and mantra-centered devotion are equated with the purifying power of pilgrimage bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the claim is universal—Tripuṇḍra-bearing is likened to bathing at all sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wearing Tripuṇḍra on the forehead, and reverence for/recourse to Shaiva mantras led by the Pañcākṣarī.