Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा वामदेवस्तु शिवयोगी महातपाः । अभिमंत्र्य ददौ भस्म घोराय ब्रह्मरक्षसे

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ityuktvā vāmadevastu śivayogī mahātapāḥ | abhimaṃtrya dadau bhasma ghorāya brahmarakṣase

Translation

సూతుడు చెప్పెను—ఇట్లు పలికి, శివయోగి మహాతపస్వి వామదేవుడు మంత్రంతో భస్మాన్ని అభిమంత్రించి ఘోర బ్రహ్మరాక్షసునికి ఇచ్చెను.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• वामदेवः: Vāmadeva
• वामदेवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• शिवयोगी: Śiva-yogin
• शिवयोगी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवस्य योगी), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महातपाः: great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् तपाः), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभिमन्त्र्य: having consecrated (with mantra)
• अभिमन्त्र्य: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + √मन्त्र् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकाल (having consecrated/enchanted)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन्/भस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• घोराय: to the terrible one
• घोराय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मरक्षसे: to the brahmarākṣasa
• ब्रह्मरक्षसे: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः रक्षः), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Vāmadeva, a formidable Śiva-yogin, chants over a pinch of ash and hands it to Ghora, the Brahma-rākṣasa, who receives it with awe.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vāmadeva
• Śiva
• Bhasma
• Ghora
• Brahma-rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-empowered sacred substances, given by a realized teacher, can transform even fallen states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the narrative centers on bhasma and the guru’s grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhimantraṇa (consecration with mantra) of bhasma and its bestowal for spiritual purification.