Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

ध्यानकाष्ठाभिधं शुद्धं कामरूपधरं सदा । इत्युक्त्वा तं प्रणम्याथ ध्यानकाष्ठं स यक्षराट्

Transliteration

dhyānakāṣṭhābhidhaṃ śuddhaṃ kāmarūpadharaṃ sadā | ityuktvā taṃ praṇamyātha dhyānakāṣṭhaṃ sa yakṣarāṭ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ് ആ യക്ഷരാജൻ ശുദ്ധനും സദാ ഇഷ്ടരൂപം ധരിക്കുന്നവനുമായ ‘ധ്യാനകാഷ്ഠ’നെ പ്രണാമം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• ध्यानकाष्ठाभिधम्: named ‘Dhyānakāṣṭha’
• ध्यानकाष्ठाभिधम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यानकाष्ठ + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ध्यानकाष्ठ इति अभिधा यस्य/यत्) विशेषणम् (तम्)

• शुद्धम्: pure
• शुद्धम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तम्)

• कामरूपधरम्: assuming forms at will
• कामरूपधरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामरूप + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कामरूपं धरति इति) विशेषणम् (तम्)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/नित्यत्ववाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (कृदन्त, क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having said)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) → प्रणम्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bowed)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (sequence particle)

• ध्यानकाष्ठम्: Dhyānakāṣṭha
• ध्यानकाष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यक्षराट्: the king of Yakṣas
• यक्षराट्: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष + राज्/राट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यक्षाणां राट् = king of Yakṣas)

Speaker

Narrator (describing Bhadra’s reverence toward Dhyānakāṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu/Setubandha (Rāmeśvara kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Yakṣa lord bows to Dhyānakāṣṭha, described as pure and ever capable of assuming forms at will, marking a respectful closure to the exchange.

Characters & Entities

• Dhyānakāṣṭha
• Yakṣa-rāṭ (Bhadra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and spiritual attainment command reverence even from powerful beings; honoring sages is itself dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the act of praṇāma (bowing) is exemplified as proper conduct.