Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ध्यानावधूताखिलकर्मबंधश्चिरं चिदानंदनिमग्नचेताः । षडक्षरन्याससमाहितात्मा शैवेन कुर्या त्कवचेन रक्षाम्

Transliteration

dhyānāvadhūtākhilakarmabaṃdhaściraṃ cidānaṃdanimagnacetāḥ | ṣaḍakṣaranyāsasamāhitātmā śaivena kuryā tkavacena rakṣām

Translation

Sind durch Meditation alle Fesseln des Karma abgeschüttelt, der Geist lange in Bewusstsein und Seligkeit versunken und das Selbst durch die Nyāsa des sechssilbigen Mantras gesammelt, so erlange man Schutz, indem man die śaivische Kavaca, die Schutzrüstung, anlegt.

Word by Word

• dhyāna-avadhūta-akhila-karma-bandhaḥ: (one) whose entire bondage of karma is shaken off by meditation
• dhyāna-avadhūta-akhila-karma-bandhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + avadhūta (कृदन्त; √dhū (धातु) उपसर्ग: ava) + akhila (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—बहु-तत्पुरुष (ध्यानेन अवधूतः अखिलकर्मबन्धः यस्य सः)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• cit-ānanda-nimagna-cetāḥ: whose mind is immersed in consciousness and bliss
• cit-ānanda-nimagna-cetāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cit (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + nimagna (कृदन्त; √maj (धातु) उपसर्ग: ni) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (चित्-आनन्दे निमग्नं चेतः यस्य सः)

• ṣaḍ-akṣara-nyāsa-samāhita-ātmā: whose self is composed through the six-syllable nyāsa
• ṣaḍ-akṣara-nyāsa-samāhita-ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + nyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + samāhita (कृदन्त; √dhā (धातु) उपसर्ग: sam+ā) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (षडक्षरन्यासेन समाहितः आत्मा यस्य सः)

• śaivena: with the Śaiva
• śaivena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (साधारणतः), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण—करण (instrumental: 'with/by the Śaiva')

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• kavacena: with the armor (kavaca)
• kavacena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• rakṣām: protection
• rakṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (contextual instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A practitioner performs nyāsa: touching head, heart, shoulders, arms; subtle syllables glowing on limbs; a translucent armor of light forms around the body as Śiva’s presence stands behind as guardian.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ṣaḍakṣara-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection (rakṣā) is grounded in inner purification—meditation, mantra-nyāsa, and steady absorption in cidānanda.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred place is named; the focus is on Śaiva practice (mantra-nyāsa and kavaca).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ṣaḍakṣara-nyāsa (installation of the six-syllabled mantra) and recitation/usage of the Śaiva kavaca for protection.