Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

त्वं च होमस्थितं भस्म सिंदूरसदृशप्रभम् । निःशल्यं सविवरकं पूर्यमाणं गृहाण च

Transliteration

tvaṃ ca homasthitaṃ bhasma siṃdūrasadṛśaprabham | niḥśalyaṃ savivarakaṃ pūryamāṇaṃ gṛhāṇa ca

Translation

നീയും ഹോമാഗ്നിയിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന ഈ ഭസ്മം സ്വീകരിക്കൂ—സിന്ദൂരസമമായ ദീപ്തിയോടെ; കുത്തുപാടില്ലെങ്കിലും ഒരു രന്ധ്രമുള്ളതും നിറയ്ക്കാവുന്നതുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhyā (Addressed/सम्बोध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे संबोधन/प्रथमा-एकवचन (Pronoun, 2nd person reference; Nominative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/and)

• होम-स्थितम्: placed in the fire-offering (homa)
• होम-स्थितम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: होमे स्थितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Acc/Nom sg; agreeing with भस्म)

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन्/भस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular)

• सिन्दूर-सदृश-प्रभम्: having a glow like vermilion
• सिन्दूर-सदृश-प्रभम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिन्दूर (प्रातिपदिक) + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमान-निर्देश: सिन्दूरसदृशा प्रभा यस्य तत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Acc/Nom sg; agreeing with भस्म)

• निः-शल्यम्: free from splinters/thorns (unpierced)
• निः-शल्यम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्/निषेधार्थ-तत्पुरुष (निः = विना); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Acc/Nom sg; agreeing with भस्म)

• स-विवरकम्: with a small opening/perforation
• स-विवरकम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह/युक्त-उपपद, अव्ययार्थ) + विवरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-भाव: विवरकेन सह); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Acc/Nom sg; agreeing with भस्म)

• पूर्यमाणम्: being filled
• पूर्यमाणम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर् (धातु) / पूरय् (णिजन्त-धातु) + मान (शानच्/कर्मणि वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मणि वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्यय (present passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Acc/Nom sg; agreeing with भस्म)

• गृहाण: take/accept
• गृहाण: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (2nd person sg: take/accept)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/and)

Speaker

Vijaya (addressing Barbarīka; giving an item/instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual fire blazes in a homa-kuṇḍa; a radiant, vermilion-tinged ash is offered as a potent gift—mysterious, ‘unpierced yet with an opening,’ suggesting a consecrated vessel or ash-lump meant to be empowered and used.

Characters & Entities

• Homa
• Bhasma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecrated substances from sacred rites (like homa-bhasma) are treated as carriers of protective and empowering grace when received with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; the focus is on a ritual object connected with homa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving/accepting bhasma that has been sanctified in a homa (fire-offering).