Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तन्मंत्रधारणादेव तद्गुरोर्हस्तसंगमात् । निर्ययुस्तस्य वपुषो वायसाः शतकोटयः

Transliteration

tanmaṃtradhāraṇādeva tadgurorhastasaṃgamāt | niryayustasya vapuṣo vāyasāḥ śatakoṭayaḥ

Translation

By the very taking up of that mantra, and by contact with the guru’s hand, from his body there issued forth crows—hundreds of crores of them.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular (of that)

• मन्त्रधारणात्: from holding the mantra
• मन्त्रधारणात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र-धारण (प्रातिपदिक; मन्त्र + धारण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘मन्त्रस्य धारणम्’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular (of that)

• गुरोः: of the guru
• गुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• हस्तसंगमात्: from the contact of (his) hand
• हस्तसंगमात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त-संगम (प्रातिपदिक; हस्त + संगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘हस्तस्य संगमः’ (contact of the hand)

• निर्ययुः: went out
• निर्ययुः: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person plural

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

• वपुषः: from the body
• वपुषः: Apadana (Source locus/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• वायसाः: crows
• वायसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• शतकोटयः: hundreds of crores
• शतकोटयः: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-कोटि (प्रातिपदिक; शत + कोटि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वकः)

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the moment of mantra acceptance and the guru’s hand-touch, a torrent of crows bursts forth from the king’s body, swirling upward in vast numbers, while the guru remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Garga
• King
• Mantra
• Crows (vāyasa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic narrative portrays mantra and guru-grace as forces that expel accumulated impurity and wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The cleansing occurs in the context of a puṇya-tīrtha by the Kāliṅdī, reinforcing the place’s sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-dhāraṇā (acceptance/retention of the mantra) together with guru’s touch as part of dīkṣā.