Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

वृषभारोहणं वासः श्मशाने पाणिसंग्रहः । सव्यालपाणिना क्षौमगजत्वग्बंधनः कथम्

Transliteration

vṛṣabhārohaṇaṃ vāsaḥ śmaśāne pāṇisaṃgrahaḥ | savyālapāṇinā kṣaumagajatvagbaṃdhanaḥ katham

Translation

ആരുടെ വാഹനം വൃഷഭമോ, ആരുടെ വാസം ശ്മശാനമോ, സർപ്പധാരിയായ കൈയോടെ പാണിഗ്രഹണം നടക്കുന്നതോ, ക്ഷൗമവസ്ത്രവും ഗജചർമവും ധരിച്ചു ബന്ധിതനായിരിക്കുന്നവനോടു വിവാഹം എങ്ങനെ?

Word by Word

• वृषभारोहणम्: mounting a bull
• वृषभारोहणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ + आरोहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृषभस्य आरोहणम्)

• वासः: dwelling/garment
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• श्मशाने: in the cremation ground
• श्मशाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• पाणिसंग्रहः: hand-clasping/hand-holding
• पाणिसंग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि + संग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पाणेः संग्रहः/पाणिग्रहणम्)

• सव्यालपाणिना: by/with (one) whose hand has a serpent
• सव्यालपाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + व्याल + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (सव्यालः पाणिः यस्य सः)

• क्षौमगजत्वग्बंधनः: binding with linen and elephant-hide
• क्षौमगजत्वग्बंधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौम + गज + त्वच् + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (क्षौमं च गजत्वक् च तयोः बन्धनम्/बन्धनः)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how?)

Speaker

A brahmacārin critic (implied to be Śiva in disguise) addressing Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna (archetypal Śaiva kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics enumerate Śiva’s startling marks: riding Nandin, dwelling in the cremation-ground, serpent in hand, clad in linen and elephant-hide—presented as objections to marriage, yet visually evoking Rudra’s majesty.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Pārvatī
• Nandin/bull (vṛṣabha)
• Śmaśāna
• Serpent (nāga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine may appear socially ‘unfitting’; spiritual vision recognizes holiness in ascetic and liminal forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is praised; the cremation-ground is referenced as Śiva’s abode in general Shaiva symbolism.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse lists iconographic and ascetic features as objections to marriage.