Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

अंगुल्यग्रेण वै दैवमार्षमंगुलिमूलगम् । ब्राह्ममंगुष्ठमूले तु पाणिमध्ये प्रजापतेः

Transliteration

aṃgulyagreṇa vai daivamārṣamaṃgulimūlagam | brāhmamaṃguṣṭhamūle tu pāṇimadhye prajāpateḥ

Translation

दैवं तु अङ्गुल्यग्रेण, आर्षं अङ्गुलिमूलगम्। ब्राह्मं अङ्गुष्ठमूले तु, प्रजापत्यं पाणिमध्यगम्॥

Word by Word

• aṅgulyagreṇa: with the fingertip
• aṅgulyagreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅguli + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अग्र), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे — 'with the tip of the finger'

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• daivam: the divine (portion/region)
• daivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; (अत्र) निर्दिष्ट-स्थाननाम

• ārṣam: the ṛṣi-related (portion/region)
• ārṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; (अत्र) निर्दिष्ट-स्थाननाम

• aṅgulimūlagam: located at the finger-base
• aṅgulimūlagam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṅguli + mūla + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'situated at the base of the finger' (mūle gaḥ)

• brāhmam: the Brahmā-related (portion/region)
• brāhmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; (अत्र) निर्दिष्ट-स्थाननाम

• aṅguṣṭhamūle: at the base of the thumb
• aṅguṣṭhamūle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅguṣṭha + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'at the base of the thumb'

• tu: and/then
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/अन्वय (but/and then)

• pāṇimadhye: in the middle of the palm
• pāṇimadhye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'in the middle of the palm/hand'

• prajāpateḥ: of Prajāpati
• prajāpateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajāpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from immediate narrative context of Dharmāraṇya instructions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up instructional scene: a hand held over water, with highlighted zones—fingertips, finger-bases, thumb-base, and palm-center—each labeled for daiva, ārṣa, brāhma, prājāpatya offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Brāhma
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual precision is itself a form of reverence—dharma is preserved through correct method, not merely intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a technical instruction for tarpaṇa practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Specific palm/finger placements for different tarpaṇa portions: deva (finger tips), ṛṣi (finger bases), brāhma (thumb base), prājāpatya (center of palm).