Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

एता नित्यं नमस्कृत्य त्रिपुंड्रं धारयेत्सुधीः । महेश्वरव्रतमिदं सर्ववेदेषु कीर्तितम्

Transliteration

etā nityaṃ namaskṛtya tripuṃḍraṃ dhārayetsudhīḥ | maheśvaravratamidaṃ sarvavedeṣu kīrtitam

Translation

Having reverently saluted these sacred observances each day, the wise should wear the Tripuṇḍra. This is the vow of Maheśvara (Śiva), proclaimed in all the Vedas.

Word by Word

• etāḥ: these (observances/things)
• etāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (pronoun)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• namaskṛtya: having saluted
• namaskṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: namas + √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकर्म (having done)

• tripuṃḍram: the tripuṇḍra (three ash-marks)
• tripuṃḍram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + puṃḍra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘त्रीणि पुंड्राणि यस्य/त्रिपुंड्रम्’

• dhārayet: should wear/hold
• dhārayet: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धृ) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• sudhīḥ: the wise person
• sudhīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘सु-धीः’ = good/intelligent person

• maheśvara-vratam: this vow of Maheśvara
• maheśvara-vratam: Viśeṣya (Apposition/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘महेश्वरस्य व्रतम्’

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarva-vedeṣu: in all the Vedas
• sarva-vedeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘सर्वे वेदाः’

• kīrtitam: is proclaimed
• kīrtitam: Kriyā (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (कीर्त्) (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm Śaiva devotee after morning ablutions stands facing a liṅga or Śiva icon, hands in añjali; he applies three horizontal ash lines (Tripuṇḍra) on the forehead, embodying a Veda-sanctioned vow.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Tripuṇḍra
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily reverence and disciplined Śaiva practice—wearing the Tripuṇḍra as a Veda-endorsed vow of Maheśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies a universal Śaiva observance (Tripuṇḍra) rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer daily salutation and then wear the Tripuṇḍra as part of Maheśvara’s vrata.