Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

अतो मां घोरपाप्मानं संसरंतं कुजन्मनि । समुद्धर कृपासिन्धो दत्त्वा भस्म समंत्रकम्

Transliteration

ato māṃ ghorapāpmānaṃ saṃsaraṃtaṃ kujanmani | samuddhara kṛpāsindho dattvā bhasma samaṃtrakam

Translation

Darum, mich, schwer von furchtbarer Sünde beladen und in einer elenden Geburt umherirrend, rette empor, o Ozean des Erbarmens, indem du mir Bhasma samt Mantra gewährst.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• घोर-पाप्मानम्: (me) the dreadful sinner
• घोर-पाप्मानम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('घोरः पाप्मा'); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• संसरण्तम्: wandering (in saṃsāra)
• संसरण्तम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + सृ (धातु) → संसरण्त् (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'संसारं गच्छन्तम्'

• कुजन्मनि: in an evil birth
• कुजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('कु' = निन्दार्थक + जन्मन्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• समुद्धर: lift out/rescue
• समुद्धर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृपा-सिन्धो: O ocean of compassion
• कृपा-सिन्धो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक) + सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('कृपायाः सिन्धुः' = ocean of compassion); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); 'having given'

• भस्म: sacred ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन्/भस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• समन्त्रकम्: with (the) mantra
• समन्त्रकम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास ('मन्त्रेण सह' = with mantra); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; भस्म-विशेषण

Speaker

Brahmarākṣasa petitioning the yogin/brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The seeker, confessing terrible sin and low birth, pleads to the compassionate yogin-guru for rescue and for the gift of mantra-empowered bhasma.

Characters & Entities

• Bhasma
• Mantra
• Kṛpā (compassion)
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gravely fallen can be uplifted through compassion, sacred symbols (bhasma), and mantra received in the right spiritual context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the ‘māhātmya’ centers on bhasma and mantra as Śaiva means of deliverance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving and applying bhasma together with an accompanying mantra (bhasma-samantraka) is requested as the salvific practice.