Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

राज्ञ्युवाच । राजन्मम पुरा बाल्ये दुर्वासा मुनिपुंगवः । शैवीं पंचाक्षरीं विद्यां कारुण्येनोपदिष्टवान्

Transliteration

rājñyuvāca | rājanmama purā bālye durvāsā munipuṃgavaḥ | śaivīṃ paṃcākṣarīṃ vidyāṃ kāruṇyenopadiṣṭavān

Translation

रानी बोली—“हे राजन्! मेरे बाल्यकाल में पूर्वकाल में मुनिपुंगव दुर्वासा ने करुणा करके मुझे शैवी पञ्चाक्षरी विद्या का उपदेश दिया था।”

Word by Word

• rājñī: the queen
• rājñī: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājñī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम ‘अस्मद्’; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• bālye: in childhood
• bālye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• durvāsāḥ: Durvāsā
• durvāsāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

• muni-puṃgavaḥ: the foremost of sages
• muni-puṃgavaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śaivīm: Śaiva (of Śiva)
• śaivīm: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• paṃca-akṣarīm: five-syllabled
• paṃca-akṣarīm: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (संख्या/अव्ययवत्) + akṣarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘पञ्चाक्षरी’

• vidyām: mantra/knowledge
• vidyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kāruṇyena: out of compassion
• kāruṇyena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāruṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• upadiṣṭavān: instructed/taught
• upadiṣṭavān: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√diś (धातु) → upadiṣṭa (कृदन्त) + vān (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘क्तवतुँ’ (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having instructed’

Speaker

Queen

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcākṣarī (Namaḥ Śivāya) as pan-tīrtha mantra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (राजन्)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen reveals her childhood initiation: sage Durvāsā compassionately teaching the Śaiva pañcākṣarī; a flashback of guru and disciple, with Śiva’s presence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Śiva
• King
• Queen

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-śakti is received through compassionate guru-upadeśa and sustained by purity and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes guru lineage and Śaiva mantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving mantra through proper instruction (upadeśa) from a qualified guru is implied.