Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 134

Devanagari script

त्यत्क्वा बहूदके प्राणानस्थिक्षेपं महीजले । काराय्य त्वं ततो भावी मैत्रेय इति सन्मुनिः

Transliteration

tyatkvā bahūdake prāṇānasthikṣepaṃ mahījale | kārāyya tvaṃ tato bhāvī maitreya iti sanmuniḥ

Translation

«Сбросив жизнь в глубокие воды и предав кости водам на земле, ты затем станешь Майтреей», — так возвестил истинный мудрец.

Word by Word

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having abandoned

• bahūtake: in abundant water
• bahūtake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu-udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘much water’; अधिकरण (in much water)

• prāṇān: life/breaths
• prāṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म (life-breaths/life)

• asthi-kṣepam: casting of bones
• asthi-kṣepam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi + kṣepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) = ‘throwing/casting of bones’; कर्म (act/thing to be done)

• mahī-jale: in earthly waters (river)
• mahī-jale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष = ‘water of the earth/river’; अधिकरण

• kārāyya: having performed/caused (it) to be done
• kārāyya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-रूप (absolutive) of causative? textual variant; intended sense ‘having caused to be done/after doing’ (कृत्वा/कारयित्वा)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = then/thereafter

• bhāvī: will become
• bhāvī: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भविष्यदर्थक विशेषण = ‘to be/becoming’

• maitreyaḥ: Maitreya
• maitreyaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maitreya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• iti: thus/so called
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• san-muniḥ: the holy sage
• san-muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘good/holy sage’ (speaker)

Speaker

A suffering narrator quoting Vyāsa (the ‘sat-muni’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka (deep-water tīrtha motif)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage pronounces a prophecy: the protagonist will relinquish life in deep waters; attendants later consign bones into flowing water. Above the waters, a visionary overlay shows the future ṛṣi ‘Maitreya’ seated in meditation, signifying transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narrative frames even death as a dharmic transition when aligned with sacred intention and sage-guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tīrtha is not named; the verse highlights sacred waters and funerary immersion as a purifying act in general.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Antyeṣṭi-related acts are implied: dying/entering deep waters and the immersion/consignment of bones into water.