Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मकुण्डोत्थितं भस्म ललाटे यो न धारयेत् । स्वपितुर्बीजसंभूतो न मातरि सुतस्तु सः

Transliteration

brahmakuṇḍotthitaṃ bhasma lalāṭe yo na dhārayet | svapiturbījasaṃbhūto na mātari sutastu saḥ

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മകുണ്ഡത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന ഭസ്മം നെറ്റിയിൽ ധരിക്കാത്തവൻ, പിതാവിന്റെ ബീജത്തിൽ നിന്നുമാത്രം ജനിച്ചവൻ; മാതാവിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ പുത്രനല്ല.

Word by Word

• brahma-kuṇḍa-utthitam: arisen from Brahmakuṇḍa
• brahma-kuṇḍa-utthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahma-kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक-समास) + utthita (कृदन्त; √sthā/ut-√sthā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (brahmakuṇḍāt utthitam)

• bhasma: ash
• bhasma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• lalāṭe: on the forehead
• lalāṭe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lalāṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• dhārayet: should wear/bear
• dhārayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sva-pituḥ: of (his) own father
• sva-pituḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘स्वः पिता’ = one’s own father)

• bīja-saṃbhūtaḥ: born merely from seed
• bīja-saṃbhūtaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhūta (कृदन्त; √bhū)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); तत्पुरुषः (bījāt saṃbhūtaḥ = born from seed)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• mātari: in the mother (womb)
• mātari: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• sutaḥ: a son
• sutaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two figures at the kunda: one bears ash on the forehead with calm dignity; the other stands bare-foreheaded, shown as spiritually unmoored—an allegory of belonging vs neglect.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmakuṇḍa
• Bhasma (vibhūti)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text uses strong praise/blame to emphasize steadfast commitment to sacred observances connected to a powerful tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa, whose ash is treated as uniquely sanctifying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhāraṇa (wearing) of Brahmakuṇḍa ash on the forehead.