Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

निर्मांसकीकसचयं स्फटिकोपलनिश्चलम् । शंखकुदेंदुतहिनमहाशंखलसच्छ्रियम्

Transliteration

nirmāṃsakīkasacayaṃ sphaṭikopalaniścalam | śaṃkhakudeṃdutahinamahāśaṃkhalasacchriyam

Translation

It stood motionless like a crystal boulder—only a mass of fleshless bones—yet radiant with a beauty like conch, jasmine, moonlight, and snow, splendid as a great conch-shell garland.

Word by Word

• निर्मांसकीकसचयम्: a heap/mass of fleshless bones
• निर्मांसकीकसचयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्मांस (उपसर्ग-निर् + मांस, प्रातिपदिक) + कीकस (प्रातिपदिक) + चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निर्मांस-कीकस-चयः = मांसवर्जित-अस्थिसमूहः)

• स्फटिकोपलनिश्चलम्: motionless like a crystal stone
• स्फटिकोपलनिश्चलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फटिक (प्रातिपदिक) + उपल (प्रातिपदिक) + निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक/विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्फटिकोपलवत् निश्चलम्)

• शंखकुदेंदुतहिनमहाशंखलसच्छ्रियम्: having a beauty like conch, jasmine, moon, snow, and a great conch-shell chain (very white/bright)
• शंखकुदेंदुतहिनमहाशंखलसच्छ्रियम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + कुद (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + तुहिन (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + शंखल (प्रातिपदिक) + सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शंख-कुद-इन्दु-तुहिन- महाशंखल-सदृश-श्रीः यस्य तत्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A motionless ascetic figure, reduced to a ‘crystal-boulder’ stillness—bones prominent, flesh withdrawn—yet surrounded by a cool white radiance likened to conch, jasmine, moonlight, and snow; the forest hushes around him.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas can reduce the body to austerity and stillness, yet it reveals an inner, auspicious radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest), presented as a Mahātmya context in the section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa) is prescribed here; it is a descriptive praise of ascetic state.