Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

निंदा च शिवभक्तानां प्रायश्चितैर्न शुद्ध्यति । रुद्राक्षा यस्य गात्रेषु ललाटे च त्रिपुंड्रकम्

Transliteration

niṃdā ca śivabhaktānāṃ prāyaścitairna śuddhyati | rudrākṣā yasya gātreṣu lalāṭe ca tripuṃḍrakam

Translation

Хула на преданных Шивы не очищается даже покаянными обрядами. Но тот, кто носит рудракшу на теле и Трипуṇдру на лбу, провозглашается весьма освящённым.

Word by Word

• निन्दा: blame/blasphemy
• निन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• शिवभक्तानाम्: of Śiva’s devotees
• शिवभक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: शिव + भक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• प्रायश्चितैः: by expiations
• प्रायश्चितैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• शुद्ध्यति: is purified/gets purified
• शुद्ध्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• रुद्राक्षाः: rudrākṣa beads
• रुद्राक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• गात्रेषु: on the limbs/body
• गात्रेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th/locative), बहुवचन (plural)

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• त्रिपुण्ड्रकम्: the tripuṇḍra mark
• त्रिपुण्ड्रकम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुण्ड्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/nom or 2nd/acc), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Brahmottara-khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting vignettes: on one side a figure speaking harshly toward ascetics (darkened aura); on the other, a serene Rudrākṣa-wearing devotee with Tripuṇḍra, radiant and protected by Śiva’s unseen presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-bhakta
• Rudrākṣa
• Tripuṇḍra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakta-aparādha (offense to devotees) is portrayed as extremely grave; devotion expressed through Rudrākṣa and Tripuṇḍra is exalted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the focus is ethical conduct toward devotees and Shaiva identifiers (Rudrākṣa, Tripuṇḍra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wearing Rudrākṣa on the body and applying Tripuṇḍra on the forehead as marks of Shaiva observance.