Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तावन्मृत्युभयं घोरं तावज्जन्मजराभयम् । यावन्नो याति शरणं देही शिवपदांबुजम्

Transliteration

tāvanmṛtyubhayaṃ ghoraṃ tāvajjanmajarābhayam | yāvanno yāti śaraṇaṃ dehī śivapadāṃbujam

Translation

உடல் கொண்டவன் சிவனின் திருவடி தாமரைகளின் சரணத்தை அடையாதவரை, கொடிய மரணப் பயமும் பிறப்பு-முதுமைப் பயமும் நீங்காது நிற்கும்।

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधिबोधक (correlative adverb: so long/that long)

• मृत्यु-भयम्: fear of death
• मृत्यु-भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘fear of death’

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘mṛtyubhaya’)

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधिबोधक (so long)

• जन्म-जराभयम्: fear of birth and old age
• जन्म-जराभयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + जरा (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (जन्म-जरयोः) भयम्—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; ‘fear of birth and old age’

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, यावत्-तावत्-सम्बन्ध (correlative: as long as)

• नः: for us
• नः: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th) बहुवचन (Plural) / वैकल्पिकं दत्तिवाचक-प्रयोगे (for us); enclitic pronoun

• याति: goes; attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• देही: the embodied one
• देही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘embodied being’

• शिव-पद-अम्बुजम्: Śiva’s lotus-feet
• शिव-पद-अम्बुजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘lotus (feet) of Śiva’ (lit. lotus of Śiva’s feet)

Speaker

Śiva-yogin (teacher/guru speaking to the queen)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-pāda (symbolic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dehī (embodied being; general addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast tableau: on one side a trembling being shadowed by Yama-like dread; on the other, radiant lotus-feet of Śiva emanating calm, drawing the devotee into refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear persists until refuge is taken in Śiva; surrender is presented as the remedy for existential dread.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse emphasizes devotional orientation to Śiva (padāmbuja) rather than location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking refuge (śaraṇāgati) is the core practice; it may be enacted through worship, mantra-japa, and daily remembrance.