Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

विभूतीति समाख्याता सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी । ललाटेंऽगुष्ठरेखा च आदौ भाव्या प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

vibhūtīti samākhyātā sarvapāpapraṇāśinī | lalāṭeṃ'guṣṭharekhā ca ādau bhāvyā prayatnataḥ

Translation

On l’appelle « vibhūti », celle qui anéantit tous les péchés. Au début, qu’on trace avec soin sur le front la marque (ligne) du pouce.

Word by Word

• विभूति: vibhūti (sacred ash)
• विभूति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; इति-पूर्वपद (नामनिर्देश)

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशक अव्यय (quotative)

• समाख्याता: is named
• समाख्याता: Kriya (Predicate adjective/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘समाख्याता’ = called/named

• सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रणाशिनी (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √नश् धातु, णिनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां प्रणाशिनी)

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• अङ्गुष्ठरेखा: a thumb-made line (thumb-mark line)
• अङ्गुष्ठरेखा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + रेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अङ्गुष्ठेन कृत/अङ्गुष्ठस्य रेखा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial locative): ‘in the beginning/first’

• भाव्या: should be applied/placed
• भाव्या: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय—‘कर्तव्या/भवितव्या’

• प्रयत्नतः: carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Sambandha (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘with effort/carefully’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), in narration to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual moment: a devotee dips thumb into vibhūti and draws the initial thumb-line on the forehead before completing the tripuṇḍra; ash particles glow softly, suggesting sin-dissolution.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhūti
• Pāpa (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vibhūti is celebrated as a purifying Śaiva sacramental substance, linking outer practice with inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a ritual instruction within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin the application by placing a thumb-line/mark of vibhūti on the forehead, done carefully.