Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

सर्वोपनिषदां सारं समालोच्य मुहुर्मुहुः । इदमेव हि निर्णीतं परं श्रेयस्त्रिपुंड्रकम्

Transliteration

sarvopaniṣadāṃ sāraṃ samālocya muhurmuhuḥ | idameva hi nirṇītaṃ paraṃ śreyastripuṃḍrakam

Translation

Après avoir médité maintes et maintes fois l’essence de toutes les Upaniṣads, ceci seul a été établi : le Tripuṇḍra est le bien suprême.

Word by Word

• सर्वोपनिषदाम्: of all Upaniṣads
• सर्वोपनिषदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उपनिषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (उपनिषद्), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय ‘सर्वाः उपनिषदः’ → ‘of all Upaniṣads’

• सारम्: essence
• सारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समालोच्य: having considered
• समालोच्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + लोच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having considered/reflected’

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kala (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिबोधक-अव्यय (adverb: repeatedly)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kala (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिबोधक-अव्यय (repetition for emphasis)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta/Pratipadyam (Subject/प्रस्तुत)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘this’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic: indeed/only)

• हि: for
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• निर्णीतम्: is ascertained
• निर्णीतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(it is) decided/ascertained’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘श्रेयः’

• श्रेयः: good, welfare
• श्रेयः: Pratipadyam (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘the highest good’

• त्रिपुंड्रकम्: the tripuṇḍra (three-lined mark)
• त्रिपुंड्रकम्: Pratipadyam (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंड्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु ‘त्रीणि पुंड्रकाणि यस्य तत्’ (the tripuṇḍra mark)

Speaker

Rudra (Śiva) (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sanatkumāra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage in deep contemplation holds palm-leaf Upaniṣads; behind him appears a symbolic Tripuṇḍra of glowing ash-white lines across a cosmic forehead, with a subtle third-eye flame—suggesting the synthesis of śruti-essence into a simple Śaiva sign.

Characters & Entities

• Upaniṣads
• Tripuṇḍra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External sacred marks, when grounded in right doctrine, are presented as a distilled expression of the highest spiritual aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is doctrinal, praising Tripuṇḍra as a universal Shaiva dharmic emblem.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adoption/wearing of Tripuṇḍra (three ash lines) as a supreme śreyas-practice.