Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतिरुवाच । अहंतासाक्षिणे नित्यं प्रत्यगद्वयवस्तुने । रामनाथ ममाज्ञानमाशु नाशय ते नमः

Transliteration

bṛhaspatiruvāca | ahaṃtāsākṣiṇe nityaṃ pratyagadvayavastune | rāmanātha mamājñānamāśu nāśaya te namaḥ

Translation

Bṛhaspati dit : Hommage à Toi, témoin éternel de l’ego, Réalité intérieure non-duelle. Ô Rāmanātha, dissipe vite mon ignorance—prosternation à Toi.

Word by Word

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अहंतासाक्षिणे: to the witness of egoity
• अहंतासाक्षिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंतासाक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक: अहंता + साक्षिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अहंतायाः साक्षी)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रत्यक्: inward, indwelling
• प्रत्यक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to वस्तुने)

• अद्वयवस्तुने: to the non-dual Reality
• अद्वयवस्तुने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्वयवस्तु (प्रातिपदिक: अद्वय + वस्तु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (अद्वयं वस्तु)

• रामनाथ: O Lord of Rāma
• रामनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामनाथ (प्रातिपदिक: राम + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रामस्य नाथः)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अज्ञानम्: ignorance
• अज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नाशय: destroy
• नाशय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: cause to perish/destroy)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (indeclinable interjection); नमः-शब्दः दत्तिवाचकः (salutation)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāmanātha/Śiva (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati, the guru of the devas, stands with folded hands before the Rāmanātha liṅga near the sea, invoking Śiva as the inward non-dual Witness; lamps, bilva leaves, and ocean breeze frame a contemplative scene.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Rāmanātha (Śiva)
• Ahaṃtā (ego)
• Advaya (non-dual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation arises from removing ignorance by realizing the indwelling Witness—Śiva as the non-dual Self.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram/Setu, where Rāmanātha is praised not only as a deity of place but as the inner reality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A jñāna-prayer is given: beseeching the Lord to destroy ajñāna; no external ritual is specified.