Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

शांडिल्योनाम ब्रह्मर्षिः सारथिर्ब्रह्मणः स्मृतः । तपस्वी स महातेजा ज्ञाननिष्ठो जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

śāṃḍilyonāma brahmarṣiḥ sārathirbrahmaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | tapasvī sa mahātejā jñānaniṣṭho jitendriyaḥ

Translation

ശാണ്ഡില്യൻ എന്നൊരു ബ്രഹ്മർഷി ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; അദ്ദേഹം ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ സാരഥിയെന്നായി സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹം തപസ്വി, മഹാതേജസ്വി, ജ്ഞാനനിഷ്ഠൻ, ജിതേന്ദ്രിയൻ ആയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शांडिल्यः: Śāṇḍilya (name of a sage)
• शांडिल्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाण्डिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Qualifier (नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — ‘नाम’ इति नामनिर्देशार्थे (“by name”)

• ब्रह्मर्षिः: a Brahmarṣi (sage of Brahman)
• ब्रह्मर्षिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः ऋषिः)

• सारथिः: charioteer
• सारथिः: Predicate Noun (समासान्वय/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā / of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (“is remembered/considered”)

• तपस्वी: ascetic
• तपस्वी: Qualifier of subject (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + इन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Qualifier of subject (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महत्तेजाः = महान् तेजस्वी)

• ज्ञाननिष्ठः: steadfast in knowledge
• ज्ञाननिष्ठः: Qualifier of subject (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रयोगः (ज्ञाने निष्ठा यस्य)

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Qualifier of subject (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (जि धातु + क्त, कृदन्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śāṇḍilyeśvara (via Ṛṣi Śāṇḍilya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṛṣi Śāṇḍilya portrayed as luminous ascetic with matted hair and kamaṇḍalu; behind him a celestial chariot motif hints at ‘Brahmā’s charioteer’; his calm gaze and controlled posture signify jitendriya and jñāna-niṣṭhā.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilya
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of a place is often linked to exemplary sages whose tapas and self-mastery ‘charge’ the tīrtha with spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śāṇḍilyeśvara, whose māhātmya is grounded in the sage Śāṇḍilya’s presence and practice at Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes the sage’s qualifications (tapas, jñāna, sense-control).