Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

हारकेयूरकटककुंडलादिविभूषणम् । हेमरत्नमयं त्यक्त्वा रुद्राक्षान्दधतुश्च तौ

Transliteration

hārakeyūrakaṭakakuṃḍalādivibhūṣaṇam | hemaratnamayaṃ tyaktvā rudrākṣāndadhatuśca tau

Translation

மாலை, கேயூரம், வளையல், குண்டலம் முதலிய பொன்-மாணிக்க அலங்காரங்களை விட்டு, அவர்கள் இருவரும் ருத்ராட்சத்தை அணிந்தனர்.

Word by Word

• हारा: garlands
• हारा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (m., nom./acc., pl.; in compound member)

• केयूर: armlets
• केयूर: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केयूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (n., nom./acc., pl.; in compound member)

• कटक: bracelets
• कटक: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (m., nom./acc., pl.; in compound member)

• कुंडल: earrings
• कुंडल: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुंडल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (n., nom./acc., pl.; in compound member)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे/आद्यार्थे (indecl.; ‘etc.’)

• विभूषणम्: ornamentation (consisting of garlands, armlets, bracelets, earrings, etc.)
• विभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (n., acc., sg.); समासः—हार-केयूर-कटक-कुंडल-आदि-विभूषणम् (determinative)

• हेम: gold
• हेम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (n., nom./acc., sg.; in compound member)

• रत्न: gems
• रत्न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (n., nom./acc., sg.; in compound member)

• मयम्: made of gold and gems
• मयम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (n., acc., sg.); समासः—हेम-रत्न-मयम् (made of gold and gems)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having abandoned’

• रुद्राक्षान्: rudrākṣa beads
• रुद्राक्षान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (m., acc., pl.)

• दधतुः: they two wore/put on
• दधतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन (Perfect, 3rd person dual, Parasmaipada)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (m., nom., du.; pronoun)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; prior speaker not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two ascetic-leaning figures remove gold-and-gem ornaments—necklace, armlets, bracelets, earrings—and replace them with dark Rudrākṣa strands; the discarded jewelry lies on a cloth, visually contrasted with the matte beads.

Characters & Entities

• Rudrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True ornamentation for a devotee is devotion—symbolized by Rudrākṣa—rather than wealth and display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on Śaiva conduct (Rudrākṣa-dhāraṇa) within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wearing Rudrākṣa as a devotional marker, replacing precious ornaments.