Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

वृषभारोहणं वासः श्मशाने पाणिसंग्रहः । सव्यालपाणिना क्षौमगजत्वग्बंधनः कथम्

Transliteration

vṛṣabhārohaṇaṃ vāsaḥ śmaśāne pāṇisaṃgrahaḥ | savyālapāṇinā kṣaumagajatvagbaṃdhanaḥ katham

Translation

Comment y aurait-il mariage avec celui dont la monture est un taureau, dont la demeure est le champ de crémation, dont la main se serre alors qu’elle porte un serpent, et qui se ceint de lin et de peau d’éléphant ?

Word by Word

• वृषभारोहणम्: mounting a bull
• वृषभारोहणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ + आरोहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृषभस्य आरोहणम्)

• वासः: dwelling/garment
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• श्मशाने: in the cremation ground
• श्मशाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• पाणिसंग्रहः: hand-clasping/hand-holding
• पाणिसंग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि + संग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पाणेः संग्रहः/पाणिग्रहणम्)

• सव्यालपाणिना: by/with (one) whose hand has a serpent
• सव्यालपाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + व्याल + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (सव्यालः पाणिः यस्य सः)

• क्षौमगजत्वग्बंधनः: binding with linen and elephant-hide
• क्षौमगजत्वग्बंधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौम + गज + त्वच् + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्षौमं च गजत्वक् च तयोः बन्धनम्/बन्धनः)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how?)

Speaker

A brahmacārin critic (implied to be Śiva in disguise) addressing Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna (archetypal Śaiva kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics enumerate Śiva’s startling marks: riding Nandin, dwelling in the cremation-ground, serpent in hand, clad in linen and elephant-hide—presented as objections to marriage, yet visually evoking Rudra’s majesty.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Pārvatī
• Nandin/bull (vṛṣabha)
• Śmaśāna
• Serpent (nāga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine may appear socially ‘unfitting’; spiritual vision recognizes holiness in ascetic and liminal forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is praised; the cremation-ground is referenced as Śiva’s abode in general Shaiva symbolism.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse lists iconographic and ascetic features as objections to marriage.