Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

स्नातो भवति सर्वत्र ललाटे यस्त्रिपुंड्रधृक् । सप्तकोटिमहामंत्राः पंचाक्षरपुरःसराः

Transliteration

snāto bhavati sarvatra lalāṭe yastripuṃḍradhṛk | saptakoṭimahāmaṃtrāḥ paṃcākṣarapuraḥsarāḥ

Translation

Wherever he may be, the one who bears the Tripuṇḍra upon his forehead is considered as one who has bathed in holy waters everywhere. The great mantras—seven crores of them—led by the Pañcākṣarī,

Word by Word

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृत्/क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Deśādhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place; ‘everywhere’)

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular)

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

• त्रिपुण्ड्रधृक्: wearing the tripuṇḍra
• त्रिपुण्ड्रधृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘यः’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिपुण्ड्र-धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: त्रिपुण्ड्र + धृक् < धृ-धातोः क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• सप्तकोटिमहामन्त्राः: great mantras (amounting to) seven crores
• सप्तकोटिमहामन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त-कोटि-महा-मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: सप्त + कोटि + महा + मन्त्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• पञ्चाक्षरपुरःसराः: having the five-syllabled (mantra) as their leader/foremost
• पञ्चाक्षरपुरःसराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च-अक्षर-पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: पञ्च + अक्षर + पुरःसर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Brahmottara-khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha (universal)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with bright Tripuṇḍra stands at a crossroads; around him appear translucent visions of many famous tīrthas and ghats, as if he has bathed in all; above, the Pañcākṣarī radiates like a mantra-sun.

Characters & Entities

• Tripuṇḍra
• Pañcākṣarī (Namaḥ Śivāya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Shaiva identity-markers and mantra-centered devotion are equated with the purifying power of pilgrimage bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the claim is universal—Tripuṇḍra-bearing is likened to bathing at all sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wearing Tripuṇḍra on the forehead, and reverence for/recourse to Shaiva mantras led by the Pañcākṣarī.