Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

यः पुनः शिवदीक्षाढ्यो भस्मस्नानपरायणः । तत्समाराधनं कुर्याच्छृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम्

Transliteration

yaḥ punaḥ śivadīkṣāḍhyo bhasmasnānaparāyaṇaḥ | tatsamārādhanaṃ kuryācchṛṇu tasyāpi yatphalam

Translation

Und ferner: Wer mit der Śiva-Einweihung ausgestattet ist und dem Bad mit Bhasma (heiliger Asche) ergeben, wenn er jene Verehrung vollzieht, so höre auch die Frucht, die ihm zuteilwird.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पुनः: again, further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again/further)

• शिव-दीक्षा-आढ्यः: endowed with Śiva-dīkṣā
• शिव-दीक्षा-आढ्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (शिवदीक्षया आढ्यः = endowed with Śiva-initiation)

• भस्म-स्नान-परायणः: devoted to ash-bathing
• भस्म-स्नान-परायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (भस्मस्नाने परायणः = devoted to bathing with ash)

• तत्-समाराधनम्: that propitiation/worship
• तत्-समाराधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + समाराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तस्य समाराधनम्)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of that (person/act)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śaiva initiate with tripuṇḍra and rudrākṣa performs worship after bhasma-snāna; a guru figure bestows dīkṣā; the shrine glows as the narrator invites the listener to ‘hear the fruit’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhasma (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Initiation and disciplined Śaiva observance (bhasma practice) intensify the efficacy and promised fruits of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it sets up a graded discussion of fruits within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-dīkṣā (initiation) and bhasma-snāna (ritual ash-bath/ash application), along with samārādhana (propitiation).