Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

निराभासाय नित्याय सत्यज्ञानांतरात्मने । विशुद्धाय विदूराय विमुक्ताशेषकर्मणे

Transliteration

nirābhāsāya nityāya satyajñānāṃtarātmane | viśuddhāya vidūrāya vimuktāśeṣakarmaṇe

Translation

ମାୟା-ଆଭାସରହିତ ନିତ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଭୁ, ଯାହାଙ୍କ ଅନ୍ତରାତ୍ମା ସତ୍ୟ ଓ ଜ୍ଞାନ—ତାଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର। ପରମ ବିଶୁଦ୍ଧ, ସର୍ବଥା ପର, ଅବଶିଷ୍ଟ କର୍ମରୁ ବିମୁକ୍ତ ପ୍ରଭୁଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଣାମ।

Word by Word

• nirābhāsāya: to the one without (mere) appearance
• nirābhāsāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nir- + ābhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; उपसर्ग-पूर्वक-प्रातिपदिक (nirābhāsa = without appearance/manifestation)

• nityāya: to the eternal
• nityāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• satyajñānāṃtarātmane: to the one whose inner self is true knowledge
• satyajñānāṃtarātmane: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya + jñāna + antara + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (आत्मन्), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (satya-jñāna-antara-ātman = whose inner self is true knowledge)

• viśuddhāya: to the perfectly pure
• viśuddhāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi- + śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• vidūrāya: to the far (beyond)
• vidūrāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi- + dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• vimuktāśeṣakarmaṇe: to the one freed from all karma
• vimuktāśeṣakarmaṇe: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi- + mukta + aśeṣa + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कर्मन्), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (vimukta-aśeṣa-karma = freed from all actions/karmas)

Speaker

King (Rājā) praising Śiva (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pure, empty luminous space (ākāśa-like) with a faint lingākāra or bindu of light; below, a pilgrim’s karmic bonds depicted as dissolving threads.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is portrayed as eternally pure truth-consciousness, untouched by karma and beyond deceptive appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; it is a doctrinal praise emphasizing liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implicitly encourages contemplation and praise of Śiva’s purity and freedom.