Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

दिगंबरो मुक्तजटाकलापो वेदांतवेद्यो भुवनैकभर्ता । स ईश्वरो ब्रह्मकलापधारो योगीश्वराणां परमः परश्च

Transliteration

digaṃbaro muktajaṭākalāpo vedāṃtavedyo bhuvanaikabhartā | sa īśvaro brahmakalāpadhāro yogīśvarāṇāṃ paramaḥ paraśca

Translation

ദിഗംബരനായി, അഴിച്ചുവിട്ട ജടാകലാപത്തോടെ, വേദാന്തത്തിൽ അറിയപ്പെടുന്നവനായി, ഭുവനത്തിന്റെ ഏകധാരകനായി—ആ ഈശ്വരൻ സമസ്ത ബ്രഹ്മവിദ്യയുടെ ധാരകനാണ്; യോഗീശ്വരന്മാരിൽ പരമനും പരമാതീതനും.

Word by Word

• दिगम्बरः: the sky-clad one
• दिगम्बरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक्-अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—दिग् एव अम्बरं यस्य (one whose garment is the quarters)

• मुक्तजटाकलापः: one with a loosened mass of matted locks
• मुक्तजटाकलापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्त-जटा-कलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—मुक्ताः जटाः (कर्मधारय) तासां कलापः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• वेदान्तवेद्यः: knowable through Vedānta
• वेदान्तवेद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदान्त-वेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—वेदान्तेन वेद्यः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• भुवनैकभर्ता: the sole sustainer of the world
• भुवनैकभर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन-एक-भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—भुवनस्य एकः भर्ता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; with numeral qualifier)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मकलापधारः: bearer of the collection/aggregate of Brahman (or sacred power)
• ब्रह्मकलापधारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-कलाप-धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः कलापः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) तं धारयति इति धारः (√धृ + अण्)

• योगीश्वराणाम्: of the lords of yogins / of the great yogis
• योगीश्वराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन्-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—योगिनाम् ईश्वराः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Karta (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• परः: higher / transcendent
• परः: Karta (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

Speaker

Lomaśa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Digambara Bhikṣāṭana: sky-clad, matted locks loosened, radiant with Vedāntic majesty; the forest and worlds subtly orbit his presence, hinting he is ‘bhūvanaika-bhartā’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is portrayed as both transcendent (Vedānta-realizable) and immanent (world-sustainer), the supreme refuge of yogic attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as theological praise within the Dāruvana account rather than praising a named tirtha directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive eulogy establishing Śiva’s supreme status.