Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

एकदा भवनं तस्याः कश्चिद्वैश्यः शिवव्रती । आजगाम सरुद्राक्षस्त्रिपुंड्री निर्ममः कृती

Transliteration

ekadā bhavanaṃ tasyāḥ kaścidvaiśyaḥ śivavratī | ājagāma sarudrākṣastripuṃḍrī nirmamaḥ kṛtī

Translation

Once, a certain Vaiśya devoted to Śiva’s vow came to her house—wearing rudrākṣa beads, marked with the triple lines of sacred ash, free from possessiveness, and disciplined in conduct.

Word by Word

• ekadā: once
• ekadā: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka + dā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (once, at one time)

• bhavanam: house; dwelling
• bhavanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन

• kaścit: someone; a certain
• kaścit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (‘some’)

• vaiśyaḥ: a vaiśya (merchant)
• vaiśyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śiva-vratī: a devotee observing Śiva’s vow
• śiva-vratī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + vratin (व्रतिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य व्रती = शिवव्रतधारी)

• ājagāma: came; arrived
• ājagāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• sa-rudrākṣaḥ: with rudrākṣa beads
• sa-rudrākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/सहित अर्थे उपसर्गवत्) + rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रुद्राक्षैः सहितः)

• tri-puṃḍrī: bearing the triple sect-mark (tripuṇḍra)
• tri-puṃḍrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + puṃḍra/puṇḍra (प्रातिपदिक) + in (इन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (त्रयः पुंड्राः यस्य = त्रिपुंड्री)

• nirmamaḥ: free from possessiveness
• nirmamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + mama (मम-भाव; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निः + मम (निर्ममः = ममतारहितः)

• kṛtī: capable; accomplished
• kṛtī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtin (कृतिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, unspecified in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined Vaiśya devotee of Śiva arrives at a courtesan’s doorway, wearing rudrākṣa and the tripuṇḍra ash-marks; his demeanor is calm, detached, and self-possessed.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśya
• Śiva
• Śiva-vrata
• rudrākṣa
• tripuṇḍra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True Śaiva observance is shown through both outer marks (rudrākṣa, tripuṇḍra) and inner virtue (nirmamatā—freedom from possessiveness).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it introduces a devotee entering the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the Śiva-vrata is indicated through wearing rudrākṣa and tripuṇḍra, though no step-by-step rite is described here.