Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

हृत्पुंडरीकांतरसन्निविष्टं स्वतेजसा व्याप्तनभोवकाशम् । अतींद्रियं सूक्ष्ममनंतमाद्यं ध्यायेत्परानंदमयं महेशम्

Transliteration

hṛtpuṃḍarīkāṃtarasanniviṣṭaṃ svatejasā vyāptanabhovakāśam | atīṃdriyaṃ sūkṣmamanaṃtamādyaṃ dhyāyetparānaṃdamayaṃ maheśam

Translation

Man meditiere über Maheśa, der im Herzlotus weilt; durch sein eigenes Leuchten durchdringt er die Weite von Himmel und Raum—jenseits der Sinne, fein, unendlich, der uranfängliche Herr—dessen Wesen höchste Seligkeit ist.

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.