Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

शरभ उवाच । अंतःकरणमात्मेति यदज्ञानाद्विमोहितैः । भण्यते रमनाथं तमात्मानं प्रणमाम्यहम्

Transliteration

śarabha uvāca | aṃtaḥkaraṇamātmeti yadajñānādvimohitaiḥ | bhaṇyate ramanāthaṃ tamātmānaṃ praṇamāmyaham

Translation

Śarabha dit : Trompés par l’ignorance, certains affirment que l’instrument intérieur (le mental) est le Soi. Je me prosterne devant ce véritable Ātman : Rāmanātha.

Word by Word

• शरभः: Śarabha
• शरभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अन्तःकरणम्: the inner organ (mind)
• अन्तःकरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—अन्तः + करण (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः, ‘inner instrument’)

• आत्मा: the Self
• आत्मा: Pratijñā/Predicate (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विमोहितैः: by the deluded (people)
• विमोहितैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमोहित (कृदन्त; वि+मुह् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भण्यते: is called/said
• भण्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भण् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘is said’)

• रमनाथम्: Ramanātha (Lord)
• रमनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—रम + नाथ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Rama’s lord/ Lord named Ramanātha’)

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रणमामि: I bow to
• प्रणमामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śarabha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śarabha, in reverent posture, points inward to the heart-lotus while a radiant liṅga of Rāmanātha stands behind, signifying the true Self beyond mind.

Characters & Entities

• Ramanātha
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The mind is not the true Self; the real Ātman is identified with Ramanātha (Śiva), worthy of reverent surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram/Setu, where Ramanātha is adored as the inner reality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (prostration/salutation) is expressed; no detailed pilgrimage rite is specified in this verse.