Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

एता नित्यं नमस्कृत्य त्रिपुंड्रं धारयेत्सुधीः । महेश्वरव्रतमिदं सर्ववेदेषु कीर्तितम्

Transliteration

etā nityaṃ namaskṛtya tripuṃḍraṃ dhārayetsudhīḥ | maheśvaravratamidaṃ sarvavedeṣu kīrtitam

Translation

ഈ (പവിത്രാനുഷ്ഠാനങ്ങളെ) നിത്യവും നമസ്കരിച്ചു ജ്ഞാനി ത്രിപുണ്ഡ്രം ധരിക്കണം. ഇത് മഹേശ്വരൻ (ശിവൻ)യുടെ വ്രതം; സർവ്വവേദങ്ങളിലും പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• etāḥ: these (observances/things)
• etāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (pronoun)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• namaskṛtya: having saluted
• namaskṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: namas + √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकर्म (having done)

• tripuṃḍram: the tripuṇḍra (three ash-marks)
• tripuṃḍram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + puṃḍra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘त्रीणि पुंड्राणि यस्य/त्रिपुंड्रम्’

• dhārayet: should wear/hold
• dhārayet: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धृ) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• sudhīḥ: the wise person
• sudhīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘सु-धीः’ = good/intelligent person

• maheśvara-vratam: this vow of Maheśvara
• maheśvara-vratam: Viśeṣya (Apposition/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘महेश्वरस्य व्रतम्’

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarva-vedeṣu: in all the Vedas
• sarva-vedeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘सर्वे वेदाः’

• kīrtitam: is proclaimed
• kīrtitam: Kriyā (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (कीर्त्) (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm Śaiva devotee after morning ablutions stands facing a liṅga or Śiva icon, hands in añjali; he applies three horizontal ash lines (Tripuṇḍra) on the forehead, embodying a Veda-sanctioned vow.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Tripuṇḍra
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily reverence and disciplined Śaiva practice—wearing the Tripuṇḍra as a Veda-endorsed vow of Maheśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies a universal Śaiva observance (Tripuṇḍra) rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer daily salutation and then wear the Tripuṇḍra as part of Maheśvara’s vrata.