Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अहं त्वकरवं स्नानं नमस्कुर्वन्महेश्वरम् । इतः परं मया व्यास भगवन्भक्तवत्सल

Transliteration

ahaṃ tvakaravaṃ snānaṃ namaskurvanmaheśvaram | itaḥ paraṃ mayā vyāsa bhagavanbhaktavatsala

Translation

ഞാൻ പുണ്യസ്നാനം നടത്തി മഹേശ്വരനെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു. ഇനി മുതൽ, ഹേ വ്യാസാ—ഭക്തവത്സല ഭഗവൻ—ഞാൻ എന്ത് ചെയ്യണം?

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/समुच्चय-व्यतिरेकसूचकः (particle: but/indeed)

• अकरवम्: I performed/did
• अकरवम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (Aorist/Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• स्नानम्: bath/ablution
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)

• नमस्कुर्वन्: while bowing/saluting
• नमस्कुर्वन्: Kriya (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (concomitant action)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)

• इतः: hence/from now
• इतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देश/काल-निर्देशकः (adverb: hence/from now)

• परम्: further/afterwards
• परम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial: further/afterwards)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental singular)

• व्यास: O Vyāsa
• व्यास: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative singular)

• भगवन्: O Lord/Venerable one
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative singular)

• भक्तवत्सल: O lover of devotees
• भक्तवत्सल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त + वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (भक्तानां वत्सलः); पुल्लिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative singular), विशेषणम्

Speaker

Durvinīta (the petitioner, addressing Vyāsa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent pilgrim stands at the sea-edge of Setu after bathing, hands folded in namaskāra toward a Śiva-liṅga shrine; Vyāsa is nearby, seated as a sage, ready to instruct.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After completing tīrtha-snāna, one should turn to dharmic guidance with humility and devotion to Maheśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-khaṇḍa context points to the Setu/Rāmeśvaram region, with Dhanuskoṭi later named explicitly in the same passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) accompanied by namaskāra (salutation) to Maheśvara.