Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

अहल्यामुक्तिसंदायिपादपंकजरेणवे । नमस्ते हरकोदण्डलीलाभञ्जनकारिणे

Transliteration

ahalyāmuktisaṃdāyipādapaṃkajareṇave | namaste harakodaṇḍalīlābhañjanakāriṇe

Translation

അഹല്യയ്ക്ക് മോക്ഷം നൽകിയ നിന്റെ പാദപങ്കജരേണുവിന് നമസ്കാരം. ഹരൻ (ശിവൻ)യുടെ കോദണ്ഡം ലീലാമാത്രത്തിൽ ഭംഗം ചെയ്ത നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം.

Word by Word

• अहल्यामुक्तिसंदायिपादपंकजरेणवे: to the dust of the lotus-feet that grants Ahalyā’s liberation
• अहल्यामुक्तिसंदायिपादपंकजरेणवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहल्या + मुक्ति + संदायिन् + पाद + पंकज + रेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-समासः—‘अहल्या-मुक्ति-संदायिन्’ इति विशेषणं, ‘पाद-पंकज-रेणु’ इति मुख्यपदम्

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नमस्कारार्थक-प्रयोगः

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नमः ते’ = to you

• हरकोदण्डलीलाभञ्जनकारिणे: to the doer of the playful breaking of Hara’s bow
• हरकोदण्डलीलाभञ्जनकारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर + कोदण्ड + लीला + भञ्जन + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular); कारिन्-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Munis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mithilā-smṛti and Gautama-āśrama-smṛti (as tīrtha-ideal) within Setukhaṇḍa stuti

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāmacandra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two linked vignettes: Ahalyā emerging from stone-like stillness as Rāma’s foot-dust touches; and Rāma effortlessly breaking Śiva’s mighty bow in Mithilā’s court.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmacandra
• Ahalyā
• Śiva (Hara)
• Śiva-dhanus (kodaṇḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with the Lord—symbolized by the dust of his feet—purifies and can lead to liberation; divine power acts effortlessly as līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Setukhaṇḍa’s frame, the verse supports the broader Rāma-tīrtha ethos culminating in Setu/Rāmeśvaram pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implies bhakti through pāda-sevā/namaskāra (reverence to the Lord’s feet).