Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

त्रियंबकं त्वां च यजामहे वयं सुपुण्यगंधैः शिवपुष्टिवर्धनम् । उर्वारुकं पक्वमिवोग्रबंधनाद्रक्षस्व मां त्र्यंबक मृत्युमार्गात्

Transliteration

triyaṃbakaṃ tvāṃ ca yajāmahe vayaṃ supuṇyagaṃdhaiḥ śivapuṣṭivardhanam | urvārukaṃ pakvamivograbaṃdhanādrakṣasva māṃ tryaṃbaka mṛtyumārgāt

Translation

われらは至聖の香をもって汝を礼拝す、三つ目の主トリヤンバカよ。吉祥なる安寧を増し育む御方よ。熟した胡瓜が苛烈な縛りより解き放たれるがごとく、トリヤンバカよ、我を死の道より救い護りたまえ。

Word by Word

• triyaṃbakam: Tryambaka (three-eyed)
• triyaṃbakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (त्रि-प्रातिपदिक) + aṃbaka (अम्बक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/कर्म), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd case/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• yajāmahe: we worship
• yajāmahe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st case/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• supuṇyagaṃdhaiḥ: with very auspicious fragrances
• supuṇyagaṃdhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-puṇya (सुपुण्य-प्रातिपदिक) + gandha (गन्ध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/करण), बहुवचन

• śivapuṣṭivardhanam: increasing Śiva’s nourishment/prosperity
• śivapuṣṭivardhanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (शिव-प्रातिपदिक) + puṣṭi (पुष्टि-प्रातिपदिक) + vardhana (वर्धन-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (for triyaṃbakam)

• urvārukam: a cucumber/gourd
• urvārukam: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: urvāruka (उर्वारुक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगभेद), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pakvam: ripe
• pakvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakva (पक्व-प्रातिपदिक; √pac कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• ugrabandhanāt: from the fierce bondage
• ugrabandhanāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ugra (उग्र-प्रातिपदिक) + bandhana (बंधन-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case/अपादान), एकवचन

• rakṣasva: protect
• rakṣasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd case/कर्म), एकवचन

• tryaṃbaka: O Tryambaka
• tryaṃbaka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (त्रि) + aṃbaka (अम्बक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• mṛtyumārgāt: from the path of death
• mṛtyumārgāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (मृत्यु-प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (मार्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case/अपादान), एकवचन

Speaker

A dvija devotee (as implied by the immediate narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tryambaka/Mṛtyuñjaya (mantra-tīrtha usage)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tryambaka Śiva, three-eyed, radiant, receives offerings of sacred fragrance; beside him a ripe cucumber/vine motif symbolizes release from bondage; Yama’s shadow recedes as Śiva’s protection expands.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambaka
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Tryambaka grants release from the bondage of mortality; worship ripens into liberation just as fruit naturally detaches when mature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is directly named in the verse; it is a universally used Śaiva prayer embedded in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (yajāmahe) with pure fragrances and prayer for protection from mṛtyu-mārga (the path of death).