Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

शीर्ष्णश्च सप्तभिश्छिद्रैर्निर्गच्छेत्पुण्यकर्मणाम् । अधश्च पापिनां यांति योगिनां ब्रह्मरंध्रतः

Transliteration

śīrṣṇaśca saptabhiśchidrairnirgacchetpuṇyakarmaṇām | adhaśca pāpināṃ yāṃti yogināṃ brahmaraṃdhrataḥ

Translation

શીર્ષ्णः सप्तભિಶ्छિદ्रૈઃ પુણ્યકર્મણાં નિર્ગમઃ। પાપિનાં અધોગતિઃ; યોગિનાં તુ બ્રહ્મરન્ધ્રતઃ॥

Word by Word

• शीर्ष्णः: from the head
• शीर्ष्णः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (ablative: ‘from the head’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सप्तभिः: with seven
• सप्तभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (numeral used adjectivally)

• छिद्रैः: through openings/holes
• छिद्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• निर्गच्छेत्: would go out/should depart
• निर्गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुण्यकर्मणाम्: of the doers of meritorious acts
• पुण्यकर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (पुण्यकर्मणाम्—‘of those whose deeds are meritorious’)

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of direction)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पापिनाम्: of sinners
• पापिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• यान्ति: they go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• योगिनाम्: of yogins
• योगिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मरन्ध्रतः: from the brahma-opening (crown aperture)
• ब्रह्मरन्ध्रतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिके) + तः (पञ्चमी-अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (तस्-प्रत्ययान्त/ablative)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmarandhra (yogic dvāra)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three departing streams from a dying figure: (1) luminous currents exiting through head openings, (2) a dark current sinking downward, (3) a radiant vertical beam piercing the crown (brahmarandhra) toward a higher realm.

Characters & Entities

• Yogin
• Brahmarandhra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The mode of departure at death reflects spiritual attainment: yogic mastery transcends ordinary karmic routes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse focuses on yogic and karmic exit pathways.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it implicitly praises yoga and disciplined spiritual practice leading to higher departure.