Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

एतत्सर्वमशेषेण त्रिपुंड्रस्य च लक्षणम् । ब्रूहि मे जगतां नाथ लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया

Transliteration

etatsarvamaśeṣeṇa tripuṃḍrasya ca lakṣaṇam | brūhi me jagatāṃ nātha lokānugrahakāmyayā

Translation

Erkläre mir dies alles ohne Auslassung—die vollständigen Kennzeichen der Tripuṇḍra, o Herr der Welten—damit ich, das Wohl der Menschen begehrend, ihnen Gnade zuteilwerden lasse.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतः—उक्तप्रश्नसमूहः

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एतत्)

• अशेषेण: completely, without omission
• अशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे तृतीया-एकवचन (instrumental used adverbially): ‘without remainder/entirely’

• त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य: of the tripuṇḍra
• त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + पुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• लक्षणम्: characteristics, definition
• लक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Request/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनरूपम् (enclitic); अत्र चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) ‘to me’

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया: with the desire to favor the worlds
• लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/Motive/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—(लोकानां अनुग्रहः) तस्य काम्यया = लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया (desire for world’s favor); तृतीया हेतौ/करणे ‘with/for the sake of’

Speaker

Sanatkumāra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Jagatāṃ Nātha (Maheshvara/Rudra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sanatkumara’s compassionate resolve is foregrounded: he requests exhaustive instruction so he can extend grace to people; the scene shows an implied audience beyond the immediate dialogue—pilgrims/householders awaiting guidance.

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumāra
• Jagannātha (Lord of the worlds—epithet here for Śiva)
• Tripuṇḍra
• Lokānugraha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual knowledge is sought not only for oneself, but to extend compassion and guidance to the wider world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the emphasis is on transmitting a universally applicable Śaiva dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for the complete lakṣaṇa (definition and characteristics) of Tripuṇḍra-wearing, to be taught in full detail.