Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तस्य देहादथोत्थाय महज्ज्योतिर्महाप्रभम् । आकाशे मृगशीर्षाख्यं नक्षत्रमभवत्तदा

Transliteration

tasya dehādathotthāya mahajjyotirmahāprabham | ākāśe mṛgaśīrṣākhyaṃ nakṣatramabhavattadā

Translation

Darauf erhob sich aus seinem Leib ein großes, überaus strahlendes Licht und wurde am Himmel zum Sternbild namens Mṛgaśīrṣa.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देहात्: from the body
• देहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/now)

• उत्थाय: having arisen
• उत्थाय: Kriya-visheshaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: उत्-स्था

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ज्योतिः)

• ज्योतिः: a light, radiance
• ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महाप्रभम्: of great splendor
• महाप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती प्रभा यस्य तत्) विशेषण (ज्योतिः)

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मृगशीर्षाख्यम्: named ‘Mṛgaśīrṣa’
• मृगशीर्षाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृगशीर्ष + आख्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (मृगशीर्ष इति आख्या यस्य) विशेषण (नक्षत्रम्)

• नक्षत्रम्: a constellation
• नक्षत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mṛgaśīrṣa (nakṣatra as celestial tīrtha-marker)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the fallen body rises a vast column of light, condensing into a star-cluster; the heavens receive it as Mṛgaśīrṣa, shimmering amid constellations.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛgaśīrṣa (Nakṣatra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology transforms events into enduring celestial symbols, reminding devotees that dharma and divine acts echo through creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa context points to Setu/Rāmeśvaram sacred geography, while the verse itself highlights a celestial (ākāśa) manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse explains a mythic-cosmic transformation (nakṣatra formation).