Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

नमस्ये चेतनं ब्रह्मा प्रत्यक्षं गालवाख्यया । अविद्याकृष्णसर्पेण दष्टं तद्विषपीडितम्

Transliteration

namasye cetanaṃ brahmā pratyakṣaṃ gālavākhyayā | avidyākṛṣṇasarpeṇa daṣṭaṃ tadviṣapīḍitam

Translation

Je me prosterne devant le Brahman conscient, la Réalité suprême, manifestée devant moi sous le nom de Gālava. Mordu par le serpent noir de l’ignorance, je suis tourmenté par son venin.

Word by Word

• namasye: I bow / I salute
• namasye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: namas (अव्यय/नमस्) + √as (धातु) (आत्मनेपद-प्रयोग)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; ‘नमस्यति’ धात्वर्थे (to bow)

• cetanam: conscious, sentient
• cetanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• brahma: Brahman (the Absolute)
• brahma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• pratyakṣam: directly perceptible
• pratyakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• gālavākhyayā: by the name ‘Gālava’
• gālavākhyayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gālava + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘-ākhyā’ = ‘named/called’

• avidyākṛṣṇasarpeṇa: by the black serpent of ignorance
• avidyākṛṣṇasarpeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avidyā + kṛṣṇa + sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• daṣṭam: bitten
• daṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √daṃś (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (that)

• viṣapīḍitam: afflicted by poison
• viṣapīḍitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣa + pīḍita (प्रातिपदिक; √pīḍ (धातु) से)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-निष्पन्न विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker bows to a sage named Gālava, envisioned as the living presence of Brahman; a shadowy black serpent coils near the seeker’s feet or behind him, symbolizing ignorance; the sage’s calm gaze suggests antidote-like compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ignorance poisons the mind; recognizing the guru as a manifest gateway to truth begins the cure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is an inner-spiritual confession and praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the act shown is namaskāra (reverent salutation) and seeking guidance.