Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

यम उवाच । पुत्रौ गणेश्वरस्कंदौ वृषो यस्य च वाहनम् । तं वै रामेश्वरं सेवे सर्वाज्ञाननिवृत्तये

Transliteration

yama uvāca | putrau gaṇeśvaraskaṃdau vṛṣo yasya ca vāhanam | taṃ vai rāmeśvaraṃ seve sarvājñānanivṛttaye

Translation

যমই ক’লে: যাঁৰ পুত্ৰ গণেশ্বৰ আৰু স্কন্দ, আৰু যাঁৰ বাহন বৃষভ—সেই ৰামেশ্বৰক মই সেৱা কৰোঁ, সকলো অজ্ঞান নিবৃত্তিৰ বাবে।

Word by Word

• यम: Yama
• यम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• पुत्रौ: two sons
• पुत्रौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• गणेश्वरस्कंदौ: Gaṇeśvara and Skanda
• गणेश्वरस्कंदौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश्वर + स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Dual (in apposition to पुत्रौ)

• वृषः: bull
• वृषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• वाहनम्: vehicle
• वाहनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• रामेश्वरम्: Rāmeśvara
• रामेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; राम + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सेवे: I serve/worship
• सेवे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Present, 1st person, Singular (आत्मनेपद)

• सर्वाज्ञाननिवृत्तये: for the cessation of all ignorance
• सर्वाज्ञाननिवृत्तये: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वाज्ञाननिवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + अज्ञान + निवृत्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Dative, Singular (purpose)

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva as Rāmeśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, austere and dark-hued, sets aside his staff and bows before the Rāmeśvara liṅga; behind the liṅga appear symbolic presences: Gaṇeśa and Skanda as youthful divine forms, and Nandin seated in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Gaṇeśa (Gaṇeśvara)
• Skanda
• Vṛṣa (Nandin)
• Rāmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving Śiva as Rāmeśvara is portrayed as a direct means to end ignorance, with Śiva identified through classic Purāṇic marks (Skanda, Gaṇeśa, Nandin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvara at Setu-tīrtha (Rameshwaram), honored as the remover of ignorance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Service/worship (sevā) of Rāmeśvara is stated, without detailing a specific rite.