Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

प्राङ्मुखं चोपवेश्याथ नत्वा शिवपदाम्बुजम् । तन्मस्तके करं न्यस्य ददौ मंत्रं शिवात्मकम्

Transliteration

prāṅmukhaṃ copaveśyātha natvā śivapadāmbujam | tanmastake karaṃ nyasya dadau maṃtraṃ śivātmakam

Translation

L’ayant fait asseoir face à l’est, et s’étant incliné devant les pieds de lotus de Śiva, il posa sa main sur la tête du roi et lui conféra un mantra imprégné de Śiva.

Word by Word

• प्राङ्मुखम्: facing east
• प्राङ्मुखम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राङ् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; कर्मधारयः ‘पूर्वाभिमुखम्’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• उपवेश्य: having seated (him)
• उपवेश्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु) → उपवेश्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्ययभाव), अव्यय — gerund ‘having seated (someone)’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक निपात) — then

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु) → नत्वा (कृदन्त, क्त्वा)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा), अव्यय — gerund ‘having bowed’

• शिवपदाम्बुजम्: Śiva’s lotus-feet
• शिवपदाम्बुजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-पद-अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + पद + अम्बुज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘शिवस्य पदम्’ + कर्मधारय ‘पदाम्बुजम्’ (lotus-feet)

• तत्: on that
• तत्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular (in that)

• मस्तके: on the head
• मस्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• करम्: hand
• करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि- अस्/स्यन्द? (धातु) → न्यस्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्), अव्यय — gerund from √अस् (न्यासे) / √स्य (to place); ‘having placed’

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• शिवात्मकम्: of the nature of Śiva
• शिवात्मकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव-आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + आत्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular agreeing with मन्त्रम्; तत्पुरुषः ‘शिवस्वरूपम्’

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The guru seats the king facing east; the guru bows to Śiva’s lotus feet (symbolic or via liṅga/footprints), then places his palm on the king’s head, imparting a Śiva-mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Garga
• King
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is received through reverent lineage: devotion to Śiva and the guru’s authorized transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the puṇya-tīrtha by the Kāliṅdī; this verse emphasizes the dīkṣā act rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seating facing east, bowing to Śiva, and head-touch (guru’s hand on the disciple’s head) during mantra-upadeśa.