Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सव्यहस्ते तृणौघं च च्छायार्थे विप्रसत्तमम् । दक्षिणे चाक्षमालां च बिभ्रतं मैत्रमार्गगम्

Transliteration

savyahaste tṛṇaughaṃ ca cchāyārthe viprasattamam | dakṣiṇe cākṣamālāṃ ca bibhrataṃ maitramārgagam

Translation

Ce brāhmaṇa très éminent tenait dans la main gauche une botte d’herbe pour se faire de l’ombre, et dans la droite un akṣamālā (chapelet), marchant sur la voie de l’amitié et de la bienveillance.

Word by Word

• सव्यहस्ते: in the left hand
• सव्यहस्ते: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सव्य-हस्त (प्रातिपदिक; सव्य + हस्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृणौघम्: a heap/bundle of grass
• तृणौघम्: Karma (Object of bearing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण-ओघ (प्रातिपदिक; तृण + ओघ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• छायार्थे: for shade
• छायार्थे: Prayojana/Adhikarana (Purpose/for shade)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; छाया + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्रसत्तमम्: the best of Brahmins
• विप्रसत्तमम्: Karma (Object; appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘श्रेष्ठ-विप्र’ (best of Brahmins)

• दक्षिणे: in the right (hand)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• अक्षमालाम्: a rosary
• अक्षमालाम्: Karma (Object of bearing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष-माला (प्रातिपदिक; अक्ष + माला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• बिभ्रतम्: bearing/carrying
• बिभ्रतम्: Karma (Object; describing the seen sage)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मैत्रमार्गगम्: going on the path of friendliness (maitrī)
• मैत्रमार्गगम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मैत्र-मार्ग-ग (प्रातिपदिक; मैत्र + मार्ग + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (continuing Nārada’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalāpa-grāma (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage walks gently, holding a grass bundle for shade and a rosary for japa—an image of humble equipment and inner focus.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Akṣamālā
• Maitrī (friendliness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness combines practice (japa symbolized by the rosary) with virtue (maitrī—friendly compassion toward beings).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse highlights the sage’s demeanor and disciplines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa is implied through the akṣamālā; no specific mantra is stated.