Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

सावित्र्या च कृतं यत्र विष्णुमाया न बाधते । मायया तु कृतं शीर्षं पंचमं शार्दुलस्य वा

Transliteration

sāvitryā ca kṛtaṃ yatra viṣṇumāyā na bādhate | māyayā tu kṛtaṃ śīrṣaṃ paṃcamaṃ śārdulasya vā

Translation

സാവിത്രിയോടുകൂടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം കർമ്മം ചെയ്തിടത്ത് വിഷ്ണുമായ ബാധിക്കുകയില്ല. എന്നാൽ മായയാൽ ശാർദൂലന്റെ (കടുവയുടെ) അഞ്ചാമത്തെ തലപോലെ ഒരു ശിരസ്സ് നിർമ്മിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• सावित्र्या: by/with Sāvitrī
• सावित्र्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृतम्: done/made
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• विष्णुमाया: Viṣṇu’s māyā (illusion/power)
• विष्णुमाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः माया)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• बाधते: afflicts/obstructs
• बाधते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बाध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• मायया: by māyā
• मायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (adversative/emphatic particle)

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• शीर्षम्: head
• शीर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन्/शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• पंचमम्: fifth
• पंचमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; विशेषण (qualifying śīrṣam)

• शार्दुलस्य: of the tiger
• शार्दुलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• वा: or/indeed
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual explanation within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya Mokṣa-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a sacred forest clearing, a Vedic rite is performed with Sāvitrī; a shimmering māyā-form manifests as an uncanny ‘fifth head’ motif, yet the officiants remain unshaken under a protective aura.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Viṣṇu-māyā
• Māyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred practice connected with Sāvitrī is portrayed as spiritually protective, while māyā can also create bewildering appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya setting is implied; the verse points to a spot where Sāvitrī-linked practice grants protection from affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance connected with Sāvitrī (often understood as Sāvitrī-mantra/japa or rite) is implied as spiritually efficacious.