Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अथोचुः शिवदूतास्ते पश्यास्य शवविग्रहम् । वक्षोललाटदोर्मूलान्यंकितानि सुभस्मना

Transliteration

athocuḥ śivadūtāste paśyāsya śavavigraham | vakṣolalāṭadormūlānyaṃkitāni subhasmanā

Translation

แล้วทูตของพระศิวะกล่าวว่า “จงดูร่างศพของเขาเถิด ที่อก หน้าผาก และโคนแขนทั้งสอง มีรอยประทับด้วยภัสมะอันเป็นมงคล”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• शिवदूताः: Śiva's messengers
• शिवदूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य दूताः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'शिवदूताः' इत्यस्य पुनरुक्त-निर्देशः

• पश्य: see; behold
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अस्य: of this (man)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• शवविग्रहम्: corpse-like body
• शवविग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शव (प्रातिपदिक) + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शवः इव विग्रहः / शव-रूपः विग्रहः)

• वक्षः: chest
• वक्षः: Sambandha (Part/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्गत्वेन (as compound member)

• ललाट: forehead
• ललाट: Sambandha (Part/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्गत्वेन

• दोर्मूलानि: the roots of the arms (armpit/shoulder bases)
• दोर्मूलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोर् (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दोः मूलानि)

• अङ्कितानि: marked; stamped
• अङ्कितानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अङ्क् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) 'अङ्कित'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'दोर्मूलानि' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सुभस्मना: with sacred/auspicious ash
• सुभस्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'सु' उपसर्गेण गुणवृद्धिः (excellent/auspicious ash)

Speaker

Vāmadeva (narrating); Śivadūtas speak within the narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhasma (Śiva-lakṣaṇa)

Type: kshetra (portable sanctity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva-dūtas point to the corpse: clear white bhasma marks on chest, forehead, and arm-roots; the marks glow subtly, functioning like divine ‘seals’ that nullify Yama’s claim.

Characters & Entities

• Śivadūta
• Bhasma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva sacred ash is presented as an auspicious sign whose presence functions as a spiritual credential even beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies bhasma as a Śaiva sanctifier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice: bearing/applying bhasma on key body-points (forehead, chest, shoulders/arm-roots), though the verse does not detail the full vidhi.