Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नल उवाच । ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशाना यदविद्याविजृंभिताः । नमोऽविद्याविहीनाय तस्मै रामेश्वराय ते

Transliteration

nala uvāca | brahmaviṣṇumaheśānā yadavidyāvijṛṃbhitāḥ | namo'vidyāvihīnāya tasmai rāmeśvarāya te

Translation

നലൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ആരാൽ ബ്രഹ്മാവും വിഷ്ണുവും മഹേശനും അവിദ്യാവിസ്താരമായി പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടുന്നു; അവിദ്യാരഹിതനായ രാമേശ്വരാ, നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം.

Word by Word

• नलः: Nala
• नलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानाः: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa
• ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्-विष्णु-महेशान (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + महेशान)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)

• यत्: who/which
• यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (relative)

• अविद्याविजृंभिताः: expanded/manifested through ignorance
• अविद्याविजृंभिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविद्या-विजृंभित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अविद्या + वि + जृम्भ् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya-artha (Salutation expression)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थक

• अविद्याविहीनाय: to the one free from ignorance
• अविद्याविहीनाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविद्या-विहीन (प्रातिपदिक; अविद्या + विहीन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (determinative)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• रामेश्वराय: to Rāmeśvara
• रामेश्वराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; राम + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; एतदर्थे सम्भवतः सम्बोधनार्थक-प्रयोग (to you)

Speaker

Nala

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nala praises Rāmeśvara while faintly in the background Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa appear as emanated forms, veiled by a translucent 'avidyā' mist; the central liṅga remains clear and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśa
• Śiva (Rāmeśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Limited notions arise from ignorance; the refuge-worthy Lord is beyond avidyā, and devotion aims at that ignorance-free reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram/Setu, where Rāmeśvara is praised as transcending cosmic offices and ignorance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse is a doctrinal salutation.