Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

मानस्तोकेति संमृंज्य शिरो लिंपेच्च त्र्यंबकम् । त्रियायुषादिभिर्मंत्रैर्ललाटे च भुजद्वये । स्कंधे च लेपयेद्भस्म सजलं मंत्रभावितम्

Transliteration

mānastoketi saṃmṛṃjya śiro liṃpecca tryaṃbakam | triyāyuṣādibhirmaṃtrairlalāṭe ca bhujadvaye | skaṃdhe ca lepayedbhasma sajalaṃ maṃtrabhāvitam

Translation

Beim Rezitieren von „Mānas toke…“ soll man den Kopf reiben und salben; und mit dem Mantra „Tryambakam…“ sowie mit Mantras, die mit „Triyāyuṣa…“ beginnen, trage man die durch Mantras belebte, mit Wasser befeuchtete Asche auf Stirn, beide Arme und Schultern auf.

Word by Word

• मानस्तोक: “mānas toka” (mantra phrase)
• मानस्तोक: Sambandha (Part of quoted mantra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस्तोक (मन्त्र-पद; प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: मन्त्रनाम; अव्ययवत् उद्धृत-पदम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• संमृज्य: having wiped/cleansed
• संमृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + मृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (Gerund), पूर्वकर्म

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• लिम्पेत्: should smear/apply
• लिम्पेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्र्यम्बकम्: Tryambaka (Śiva)
• त्र्यम्बकम्: Karma (Object/Deity invoked)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; शिवनाम

• त्रियायुषादिभिः: with (mantras) beginning with Triyāyuṣ
• त्रियायुषादिभिः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रियायुष + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; (त्रियायुषादयः मन्त्राः)

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भुजद्वये: on the two arms
• भुजद्वये: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; (द्वौ भुजौ)

• स्कन्धे: on the shoulder
• स्कन्धे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लेपयेत्: should apply/smear
• लेपयेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: cause to smear/apply)

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सजलम्: mixed with water, moist
• सजलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (भस्म)

• मन्त्रभावितम्: consecrated by mantras
• मन्त्रभावितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र + भावित (प्रातिपदिक; √भू/भाव् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषण (भस्म) अर्थे ‘मन्त्रेण भावितम्’

Speaker

Śrī Rudra (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmune (unnamed sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee applies wet, mantra-charged vibhūti to head, forehead, arms, and shoulders while chanting; a small water vessel and vibhūti bowl are beside him; the atmosphere is quiet and concentrated.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambaka
• Bhasma
• Mantra
• Lalāṭa (forehead)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is embodied: mantra and sacred ash sanctify the practitioner’s limbs, turning the body into a field of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised in this verse; it is a procedural instruction for Tripuṇḍra/bhasma application.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply mantra-empowered, slightly moistened bhasma to the head, forehead, both arms, and shoulders while reciting specified Vedic/Śaiva mantras.