Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

मृत्युंजयः कृत्तिवासास्तस्य प्रीणाति शंकरः । करस्थं तस्य कैवल्यं शंकरस्य प्रसादतः

Transliteration

mṛtyuṃjayaḥ kṛttivāsāstasya prīṇāti śaṃkaraḥ | karasthaṃ tasya kaivalyaṃ śaṃkarasya prasādataḥ

Translation

ศังกร—มฤตยูญชัย ผู้ทรงนามกฤตติวาสา (ผู้ทรงนุ่งห่มหนัง)—ทรงพอพระทัยในเขา; ด้วยพระกรุณาของศังกร ไกวัลยะ (ความหลุดพ้น) ประหนึ่งมาสถิตอยู่ในฝ่ามือของเขา ราวได้มาโดยง่าย

Word by Word

• मृत्युंजयः: Mṛtyuñjaya (conqueror of death)
• मृत्युंजयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु + जय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘मृत्युम् जयति’ इति (name/epithet)

• कृत्तिवासाः: Kṛttivāsas (he who wears a skin)
• कृत्तिवासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः—‘कृत्तिः वासः यस्य सः’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रीणाति: pleases
• प्रीणाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• करस्थम्: placed in (one’s) hand; readily available
• करस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘करे स्थितम्’ (predicative to ‘कैवल्यम्’)

• तस्य: for him / of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कैवल्यम्: liberation (kaivalya)
• कैवल्यम्: Karma (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैवल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रसादतः: by (his) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-प्रयोगेण अव्ययीभूतम् (ablatival adverb); हेतुवाचकः (by/through grace)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra Śiva (Tryambaka/Mṛtyuṃjaya) (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Mṛtyuṃjaya/Kṛttivāsā: ash-smeared, tiger-skin/skin-clad, trident and damaru, serene yet powerful; a devotee below, and a luminous ‘kaivalya’ symbol (lotus/light) resting in the devotee’s open palm.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Mṛtyuṃjaya
• Kṛttivāsā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When Śiva is pleased, liberation is not distant—it is granted directly through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra’s Mahātmya context, where rites are presented as quickly winning Śiva’s favor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies that Mahālaya śrāddha and allied dharma performed properly can please Śiva and yield spiritual fruition.