Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आद्यो विरंचिनामासीद्यदा ब्रह्मा पितामहः । मृत्युञ्जयस्तदा नाम सोमनाथस्य कीर्तितम्

Transliteration

ādyo viraṃcināmāsīdyadā brahmā pitāmahaḥ | mṛtyuñjayastadā nāma somanāthasya kīrtitam

Translation

முதல் (சுழற்சியில்), பிதாமகன் பிரம்மா ‘விரஞ்சி’ என அழைக்கப்பட்டபோது, சோமநாதரின் புகழ்பெற்ற பெயர் ‘மிருத்யுஞ்ஜயன்’ ஆகும்.

Word by Word

• ādyaḥ: the first
• ādyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• viraṃcinā: by Virañci (Brahmā)
• viraṃcinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viraṃcin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतुवाचक (by/with Virañci = Brahmā)

• āmāsīt: was (came to be)
• āmāsīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (Temporal link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• pitāmahaḥ: the Grandfather (epithet of Brahmā)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-विशेष्य (appositional)

• mṛtyuñjayaḥ: Mṛtyuñjaya (conqueror of death)
• mṛtyuñjayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyuñjaya (प्रातिपदिक: mṛtyu + jaya)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mṛtyoḥ jayaḥ = conqueror of death)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (Temporal link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• nāma: as the name
• nāma: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (as ‘named/called’)

• somanāthasya: of Somanātha
• somanāthasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: somanātha (प्रातिपदिक: soma + nātha)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (somasya nāthaḥ)

• kīrtitam: was proclaimed/celebrated
• kīrtitam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (कीर्त् धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha at Prabhāsa (as Mṛtyuñjaya in the first cycle)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Somnātha liṅga shines with a protective aura; Yama and the noose are shown subdued at the periphery, while the epithet ‘Mṛtyuñjaya’ appears like a mantra-ring around the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• Brahmā (Virañci)
• Somanātha
• Mṛtyuñjaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering Śiva as Mṛtyuñjaya affirms liberation from fear of death and the protective grace of the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Somanātha is praised under the death-conquering epithet Mṛtyuñjaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse transmits a sacred name associated with merit and remembrance.