Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

नमो माया मृगोन्माथकारिणेऽज्ञानहारिणे । दशस्यंदनदुःखाब्धिशोषणागस्त्यरूपिणे

Transliteration

namo māyā mṛgonmāthakāriṇe'jñānahāriṇe | daśasyaṃdanaduḥkhābdhiśoṣaṇāgastyarūpiṇe

Translation

ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ ผู้ทำลายมายามฤคาอันลวงตาและขจัดอวิชชา; ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ ผู้ทรงเป็นอคัสตยะ ผู้ทำให้มหาสมุทรแห่งทุกข์ที่ทศกัณฐ์ก่อขึ้นเหือดแห้ง

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• माया: O Māyā (illusion/power)
• माया: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• मृगोन्माथकारिणे: to the one who causes the deer’s frenzy/uprooting
• मृगोन्माथकारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + उन्माथ (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; मृगस्य उन्माथः (उत्पाटन/उन्मादन) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, तस्य कारिन्

• अज्ञानहारिणे: to the remover of ignorance
• अज्ञानहारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; अज्ञानं हरतीति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• दशस्यंदनदुःखाब्धिशोषणागस्त्यरूपिणे: to the one in Agastya’s form who dries up the ocean of sorrow (of the ten chariots)
• दशस्यंदनदुःखाब्धिशोषणागस्त्यरूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + स्यन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + शोषण (प्रातिपदिक) + अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः (मुख्यः रूपिन्); ‘दशस्यन्दन’ (दशानां स्यन्दनानाम्) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, ‘दुःखाब्धि’ = दुःखस्य अब्धिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), ‘शोषण’ = शोषयति इति भाव/कर्म-नाम, ‘अगस्त्यरूपिन्’ = अगस्त्यस्य रूपम् अस्य (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Deductive: a devotee/narratorial voice within Setukhaṇḍa; verse explicitly references Agastya-form imagery

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha/Setu (Rāmeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma dispels the shimmering golden deer illusion; the scene shifts to Agastya-like form drinking/drying a vast ocean, symbolizing the draining of sorrow caused by the ten-headed demon.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma/Viṣṇu
• Māyā-mṛga (illusory deer)
• Agastya
• Rāvaṇa (Daśāsya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord dissolves illusion and ignorance, transforming the devotee’s ‘ocean of sorrow’ into clarity and peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha in the Setukhaṇḍa frame, while invoking Agastya to intensify the sacred southern landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse supports jñāna-bhakti through contemplative recitation (namas).