Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

मानस्तोकेति संमृंज्य शिरो लिंपेच्च त्र्यंबकम् । त्रियायुषादिभिर्मंत्रैर्ललाटे च भुजद्वये । स्कंधे च लेपयेद्भस्म सजलं मंत्रभावितम्

Transliteration

mānastoketi saṃmṛṃjya śiro liṃpecca tryaṃbakam | triyāyuṣādibhirmaṃtrairlalāṭe ca bhujadvaye | skaṃdhe ca lepayedbhasma sajalaṃ maṃtrabhāvitam

Translation

‘മാനസ്തോക്കെ…’ ജപിച്ച് ശിരസ്സിനെ സംമൃജ്യ ലേപനം ചെയ്യണം; പിന്നെ ‘ത്ര്യമ്പകം…’ എന്നും ‘ത്രിയായുഷാ…’ മുതലായ മന്ത്രങ്ങളാലും, ജലത്തിൽ നനച്ച മന്ത്രഭാവിത ഭസ്മം നെറ്റിയിൽ, ഇരുഭുജങ്ങളിൽ, സ്കന്ധങ്ങളിൽ ലേപിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• मानस्तोक: “mānas toka” (mantra phrase)
• मानस्तोक: Sambandha (Part of quoted mantra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस्तोक (मन्त्र-पद; प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: मन्त्रनाम; अव्ययवत् उद्धृत-पदम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• संमृज्य: having wiped/cleansed
• संमृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + मृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (Gerund), पूर्वकर्म

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• लिम्पेत्: should smear/apply
• लिम्पेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्र्यम्बकम्: Tryambaka (Śiva)
• त्र्यम्बकम्: Karma (Object/Deity invoked)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; शिवनाम

• त्रियायुषादिभिः: with (mantras) beginning with Triyāyuṣ
• त्रियायुषादिभिः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रियायुष + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; (त्रियायुषादयः मन्त्राः)

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भुजद्वये: on the two arms
• भुजद्वये: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; (द्वौ भुजौ)

• स्कन्धे: on the shoulder
• स्कन्धे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लेपयेत्: should apply/smear
• लेपयेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: cause to smear/apply)

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सजलम्: mixed with water, moist
• सजलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (भस्म)

• मन्त्रभावितम्: consecrated by mantras
• मन्त्रभावितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र + भावित (प्रातिपदिक; √भू/भाव् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषण (भस्म) अर्थे ‘मन्त्रेण भावितम्’

Speaker

Śrī Rudra (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmune (unnamed sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee applies wet, mantra-charged vibhūti to head, forehead, arms, and shoulders while chanting; a small water vessel and vibhūti bowl are beside him; the atmosphere is quiet and concentrated.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambaka
• Bhasma
• Mantra
• Lalāṭa (forehead)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is embodied: mantra and sacred ash sanctify the practitioner’s limbs, turning the body into a field of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised in this verse; it is a procedural instruction for Tripuṇḍra/bhasma application.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply mantra-empowered, slightly moistened bhasma to the head, forehead, both arms, and shoulders while reciting specified Vedic/Śaiva mantras.