Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

रुद्राक्ष मालाभरणाः पंचाक्षरजपे रताः । हालास्यनाथं भूतेशं चंद्रचूडमुमापतिम्

Transliteration

rudrākṣa mālābharaṇāḥ paṃcākṣarajape ratāḥ | hālāsyanāthaṃ bhūteśaṃ caṃdracūḍamumāpatim

Translation

Portant des chapelets de rudrākṣa et adonnés au japa du mantra à cinq syllabes, ils vénéraient le Seigneur de Hālāsya—Bhūteśa, Śiva au croissant de lune, l’époux d’Umā.

Word by Word

• रुद्राक्ष: rudrākṣa beads
• रुद्राक्ष: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (used as first member in compound; indeclinable in compound)

• माला-आभरणाः: wearers of garlands
• माला-आभरणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मालायाः आभरणाः)

• पञ्च-अक्षर-जपे: in the chanting of the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्च-अक्षर-जपे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पञ्चाक्षरस्य जपे)

• रताः: devoted
• रताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; √रम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (engaged/devoted)

• हालास्य-नाथम्: the Lord of Hālāsyā
• हालास्य-नाथम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हालास्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हालास्यस्य नाथम्)

• भूत-ईशम्: Lord of beings (Bhūteśa)
• भूत-ईशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूतानां ईशम्)

• चन्द्र-चूडम्: the moon-crested (Śiva)
• चन्द्र-चूडम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चूड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (चन्द्रः चूडायां यस्य सः) used as epithet

• उमा-पतिम्: husband of Umā
• उमा-पतिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उमायाः पतिम्)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hālāsya-nātha tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of Śaiva devotees wearing rudrākṣa garlands, seated in a temple courtyard, softly counting japa on mālās before a liṅga identified as Hālāsya-nātha; Śiva shown moon-crested with Umā beside him.

Characters & Entities

• Rudrākṣa
• Pañcākṣara (Namaḥ Śivāya)
• Hālāsya-nātha
• Bhūteśa
• Candra-cūḍa
• Umā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady mantra-japa and simple devotional disciplines (rudrākṣa, worship) are praised as direct means to approach Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hālāsya, through the epithet “Hālāsya-nātha,” highlighting Śiva’s localized presence in a sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pañcākṣara-japa (the five-syllable Śiva mantra) and wearing rudrākṣa garlands.