Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

शिवस्यांगणलग्ना या तस्मात्तां धारयेत्सदा । ततस्त्रिपुंड्रे यत्पुम्यं तच्छृणुध्वं द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

śivasyāṃgaṇalagnā yā tasmāttāṃ dhārayetsadā | tatastripuṃḍre yatpumyaṃ tacchṛṇudhvaṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Ainsi, qu’on porte toujours ce qui est attaché au corps de Śiva : Sa cendre sacrée (vibhūti). Et maintenant, ô meilleurs des deux-fois-nés, écoutez le mérite contenu dans le tripuṇḍra, les trois lignes de cendre.

Word by Word

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अङ्गणलग्ना: attached to the body
• अङ्गणलग्ना: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'या')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक) + लग्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• या: which (she/that)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तस्मात्: from that (therefore)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; अपादानार्थ (source)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• धारयेत्: should wear/should hold
• धारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• त्रिपुण्ड्रे: in the tripuṇḍra (three ash-lines)
• त्रिपुण्ड्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणार्थ (location)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• पुण्यम्: meritorious, holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'यत्')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (correlative)

• शृणुध्वम्: hear (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा (vocative sense)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijottamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śaiva teacher addresses brāhmaṇas, holding a small vessel of vibhūti; pilgrims in Himalayan attire apply three horizontal ash lines on the forehead before a liṅga, with snowy peaks and cedar forests behind.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• bhasma (vibhūti)
• tripuṇḍra
• dvijottama (brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bearing sacred ash is a visible vow of Śaiva identity and remembrance, linked to purification and divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, where Śaiva marks like vibhūti and tripuṇḍra are taught as part of the tīrtha’s dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhāraṇa (wearing) of Śiva’s vibhūti and the practice of applying tripuṇḍra are introduced.