Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

गोपीचन्दनलिप्तो वा स्वभालेऽप्यूर्ध्वपुंड्रकः । रुद्राक्ष मालाभरणः सपवित्रकरः शुचिः

Transliteration

gopīcandanalipto vā svabhāle'pyūrdhvapuṃḍrakaḥ | rudrākṣa mālābharaṇaḥ sapavitrakaraḥ śuciḥ

Translation

หรือชโลมด้วยโกปีจันทนะ ทำอูรธวปุณฑระไว้ที่หน้าผาก; สวมมาลารุทรाक्षะ มีแหวนปวิตระที่มือ และดำรงตนให้สะอาดบริสุทธิ์และสำรวม

Word by Word

• gopīcandanaliptaḥ: smeared with gopī-candana (sacred clay)
• gopīcandanaliptaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopīcandana (प्रातिपदिक) + lipta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘गोपीचन्दनेन लिप्तः’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• svabhāle: on (his) own forehead
• svabhāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘स्वस्य भालम्’ (on one’s own forehead)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• ūrdhvapuṃḍrakaḥ: wearing the vertical tilaka
• ūrdhvapuṃḍrakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃḍra (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ऊर्ध्वः पुण्ड्रकः’ (vertical tilaka)

• rudrākṣamālābharaṇaḥ: adorned with a rudrākṣa garland
• rudrākṣamālābharaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + ābharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘रुद्राक्षमालायाः आभरणम्’ (having rudrākṣa-garland as ornament)

• sapavitrakaraḥ: with pavitra on the hand
• sapavitrakaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) + pavitra (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘पवित्रं करे यस्य सः’ (with pavitra-ring/grass in hand)

• śuciḥ: pure/clean
• śuciḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (pure)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing the yātrā-krama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijās/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two pilgrims stand at the temple entrance: one with gopīcandana ūrdhva-puṇḍra, another with Śaiva marks; both wear rudrākṣa and a pavitra-ring, hands folded, bodies clean, ready for darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Gopīcandana
• Ūrdhvapuṇḍra
• Rudrākṣa
• Pavitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External marks support inner devotion; purity and disciplined conduct are integral to tirtha-worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram, whose pilgrimage culture accommodates both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva devotional insignia.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Applying gopīcandana and ūrdhvapuṇḍra, wearing rudrākṣa, using a pavitra-ring, and maintaining ritual cleanliness.