Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

स बिभ्रद्भस्म विशदे प्रकोष्ठे वरकंकणम् । महारत्नपरिस्तीर्णं ज्वलंतं तरुणार्कवत्

Transliteration

sa bibhradbhasma viśade prakoṣṭhe varakaṃkaṇam | mahāratnaparistīrṇaṃ jvalaṃtaṃ taruṇārkavat

Translation

He bore bright, pure sacred ash, and upon his forearm a splendid bracelet, strewn with great gems, blazing like the newly risen sun.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bibhrat: bearing; wearing
• bibhrat: Kriya-visheshana (Participial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhṛ (भृ धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन (present participle)

• bhasma: sacred ash
• bhasma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (भस्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• viśade: bright; clear
• viśade: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन; ‘प्रकोष्ठे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• prakoṣṭhe: on the forearm/wrist area
• prakoṣṭhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakoṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन

• vara-kaṃkaṇam: an excellent bracelet
• vara-kaṃkaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṃkaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (वरं कंकणम्)

• mahā-ratna-paristīrṇam: spread/covered with great gems
• mahā-ratna-paristīrṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक) + pari-√stṛ (स्तृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महारत्नैः परिस्तीर्णम्)

• jvalantam: shining; blazing
• jvalantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jval (ज्वल् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (‘shining’)

• taruṇa-arka-vat: like the rising/young sun
• taruṇa-arka-vat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: taruṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + arka (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्-प्रत्यय; तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (‘like the young sun’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, unspecified in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śaiva devotee’s forearm bears a brilliant gem-studded bracelet, glowing like the young sun, while his body is marked with pure, bright sacred ash.

Characters & Entities

• bhasma
• kaṃkaṇa (bracelet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The devotee combines Śaiva austerity (bhasma) with worldly wealth, setting the stage for testing desire, generosity, and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred place is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The wearing of bhasma is depicted as a Śaiva devotional practice, but no formal injunction is stated.