Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ध्यानावधूताखिलकर्मबंधश्चिरं चिदानंदनिमग्नचेताः । षडक्षरन्याससमाहितात्मा शैवेन कुर्या त्कवचेन रक्षाम्

Transliteration

dhyānāvadhūtākhilakarmabaṃdhaściraṃ cidānaṃdanimagnacetāḥ | ṣaḍakṣaranyāsasamāhitātmā śaivena kuryā tkavacena rakṣām

Translation

ധ്യാനത്താൽ സകല കർമ്മബന്ധങ്ങളും അകറ്റി, ദീർഘകാലം ചിദാനന്ദത്തിൽ ലീനമായ ചിത്തത്തോടെ, ഷഡക്ഷരമന്ത്ര ന്യാസംകൊണ്ട് ആത്മാവിനെ സമാഹിതമാക്കി—ശൈവ കവചംകൊണ്ട് രക്ഷ നേടണം।

Word by Word

• dhyāna-avadhūta-akhila-karma-bandhaḥ: (one) whose entire bondage of karma is shaken off by meditation
• dhyāna-avadhūta-akhila-karma-bandhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + avadhūta (कृदन्त; √dhū (धातु) उपसर्ग: ava) + akhila (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—बहु-तत्पुरुष (ध्यानेन अवधूतः अखिलकर्मबन्धः यस्य सः)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• cit-ānanda-nimagna-cetāḥ: whose mind is immersed in consciousness and bliss
• cit-ānanda-nimagna-cetāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cit (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + nimagna (कृदन्त; √maj (धातु) उपसर्ग: ni) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (चित्-आनन्दे निमग्नं चेतः यस्य सः)

• ṣaḍ-akṣara-nyāsa-samāhita-ātmā: whose self is composed through the six-syllable nyāsa
• ṣaḍ-akṣara-nyāsa-samāhita-ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + nyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + samāhita (कृदन्त; √dhā (धातु) उपसर्ग: sam+ā) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (षडक्षरन्यासेन समाहितः आत्मा यस्य सः)

• śaivena: with the Śaiva
• śaivena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (साधारणतः), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण—करण (instrumental: 'with/by the Śaiva')

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• kavacena: with the armor (kavaca)
• kavacena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• rakṣām: protection
• rakṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (contextual instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A practitioner performs nyāsa: touching head, heart, shoulders, arms; subtle syllables glowing on limbs; a translucent armor of light forms around the body as Śiva’s presence stands behind as guardian.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ṣaḍakṣara-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection (rakṣā) is grounded in inner purification—meditation, mantra-nyāsa, and steady absorption in cidānanda.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred place is named; the focus is on Śaiva practice (mantra-nyāsa and kavaca).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ṣaḍakṣara-nyāsa (installation of the six-syllabled mantra) and recitation/usage of the Śaiva kavaca for protection.