Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

विना भस्म समाधाय कपाले रजतप्रभम् । मनुजास्थिमयीं मालां प्रेतनाथश्च वन्दनम्

Transliteration

vinā bhasma samādhāya kapāle rajataprabham | manujāsthimayīṃ mālāṃ pretanāthaśca vandanam

Translation

تلطّخ أحدهم بفيبهوُتي، الرماد المقدّس، ووضع آخرُ كَبَالَا، إناءَ الجمجمة المتلألئ كالفِضّة. وحمل سيّد الأرواح (بريتا-ناثا) أيضًا إكليلًا من عظام البشر، رمزًا مهيبًا للزهد والانقطاع، جديرًا بالتبجيل.

Word by Word

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपातः/पूर्वपदप्रयोगः; अर्थे—वर्जने (without)

• bhasma: ashes
• bhasma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• samādhāya: having placed/arranged
• samādhāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√dhā (धा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया—‘स्थापयित्वा/आधाय’

• kapāle: in/on the skull-bowl
• kapāle: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• rajata-prabham: silver-lustrous
• rajata-prabham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajata (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: रजतस्य प्रभा यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• manuja-asthi-mayīm: made of human bones
• manuja-asthi-mayīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक) + asthi (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (उपपद/षष्ठीभावः: मनुजानाम् अस्थिभिः मयी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• mālām: garland
• mālām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• pretanāthaḥ: lord of the spirits (Śiva)
• pretanāthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: प्रेतानां नाथः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• vandanam: salutation/obeisance
• vandanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Pretanātha stands adorned with bhasma, a silver-lustrous kapāla (skull-bowl), and a garland of human bones; attendants present ascetic emblems; the mood is numinous and fear-transcending.

Characters & Entities

• Bhasma (sacred ash)
• Kapāla (skull-bowl)
• Preta-nātha (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s fearful ornaments teach dispassion: ash and skull-bowl remind seekers of impermanence and the supremacy of liberation over worldly pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised in this verse; it highlights Śiva’s ascetic iconography common to Śaiva sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhasma (sacred ash) is referenced as an emblematic practice; no detailed method (vidhi) is given here.