Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

वरुण उवाच । यस्य पूजाप्रभावेन जित मृत्युर्मृकंडुजः । मृत्युंजयमुपासेऽहं रामनाथं हृदा तु तम्

Transliteration

varuṇa uvāca | yasya pūjāprabhāvena jita mṛtyurmṛkaṃḍujaḥ | mṛtyuṃjayamupāse'haṃ rāmanāthaṃ hṛdā tu tam

Translation

วรุณาตรัสว่า: ด้วยอานุภาพแห่งการบูชาพระองค์ บุตรของมฤกัณฑุได้ชนะความตาย ข้าพเจ้าขอบูชาพระมฤตยูญชัย รามนาถพระองค์นั้นด้วยดวงใจทั้งสิ้น

Word by Word

• वरुण: Varuṇa
• वरुण: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive, Singular

• पूजाप्रभावेन: by the power of worship
• पूजाप्रभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजाप्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; पूजा + प्रभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• जितः: conquered
• जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि ‘conquered’; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (qualifying मृत्यु:)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृकण्डुजः: Mṛkaṇḍu’s son (Mārkaṇḍeya)
• मृकण्डुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्डुज (प्रातिपदिक; मृकण्डु + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (i.e., Mārkaṇḍeya)

• मृत्युञ्जयम्: the Conqueror of death (Mṛtyuñjaya)
• मृत्युञ्जयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्युञ्जय (प्रातिपदिक; मृत्यु + जय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपासे: I worship
• उपासे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Present, 1st person, Singular (आत्मनेपद)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative, Singular

• रामनाथम्: Lord of Rāma
• रामनाथम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामनाथ (प्रातिपदिक; राम + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हृदा: with the heart
• हृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषण (particle: but/indeed)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular (apposition to रामनाथम्/मृत्युञ्जयम्)

Speaker

Varuṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara (Mṛtyuñjaya aspect)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva as Rāma-nātha/Mṛtyuñjaya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Varuṇa, lord of waters, offers a heart-held lotus to the Rāmeśvara liṅga; in a side vignette, young Mārkaṇḍeya clings to a liṅga as the noose of death dissolves—signifying Mṛtyuñjaya’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Mṛkaṇḍu
• Mārkaṇḍeya (Mṛkaṇḍujaḥ)
• Mṛtyuṃjaya (Śiva)
• Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship of Śiva bears transformative power—even over fear of death—pointing to inner victory through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvara (Rameshwaram) in the Setukhaṇḍa, praised as Mṛtyuṃjaya and Rāmanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship/adoration (pūjā, upāsanā) of Rāmeśvara is praised, highlighting the merit (prabhāva) of such devotion.