Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सोम उवाच । नमस्ते भस्मदिग्धाय शूलिने सर्पमालिने । रामनाथ दयांभोधे स्मशाननिलयाय ते

Transliteration

soma uvāca | namaste bhasmadigdhāya śūline sarpamāline | rāmanātha dayāṃbhodhe smaśānanilayāya te

Translation

সোম বললেন—ভস্মলিপ্ত, শূলধারী, সর্পমালাভূষিত তোমাকে নমস্কার। হে রামনাথ, দয়ার সাগর, শ্মশানবাসী, তোমাকে প্রণাম।

Word by Word

• सोमः: Soma (the Moon)
• सोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः-प्रयोगः दत्तिवाचक-सम्बन्धे

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भस्मदिग्धाय: to (him) smeared with ash
• भस्मदिग्धाय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्मन् + दिग्ध (कृदन्त, √दिह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—भस्मना दिग्धः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• शूलिने: to the trident-bearer
• शूलिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त

• सर्पमालिने: to the one with a garland of snakes
• सर्पमालिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प + मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सर्पाणां माला यस्य (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-भावार्थे रूढ)

• रामनाथ: O Lord of Rāma
• रामनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—रामस्य नाथः

• दयाम्भोधे: O ocean of compassion
• दयाम्भोधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया + अम्भोधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—दयायाः अम्भोधिः/दया-रूपः अम्भोधिः (उपमा-भाव)

• श्मशाननिलयाय: to the dweller in the cremation-ground
• श्मशाननिलयाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान + निलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—श्मशाने निलयः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Soma (Candra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Setu-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) Audience of the māhātmya; within verse, Śiva is addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Soma (Moon-god) offers reverence to Rāmanātha; the liṅga is envisioned with Śiva’s attributes—ash-smeared body, trident, serpent garland—set against a twilight cremation-ground aesthetic, yet softened by an aura of compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Soma (Candra)
• Rāmanātha (Śiva)
• Śūla (trident)
• Bhasma
• Cremation-ground (śmaśāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s ash and cremation-ground imagery teaches vairāgya (detachment) while affirming His boundless compassion toward devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram in the Setukhaṇḍa pilgrimage frame, where Śiva is adored as Rāmanātha/Rāmeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse highlights Śaiva markers (bhasma) and is suitable for devotional recitation.