Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

गोविंदस्वाम्युवाच । एतत्कपालमनलज्वालावलयवर्तुलम् । वसाकीकसमांसाढ्यमेतद्रक्तांबुजोपमम्

Transliteration

goviṃdasvāmyuvāca | etatkapālamanalajvālāvalayavartulam | vasākīkasamāṃsāḍhyametadraktāṃbujopamam

Translation

โควินทสวามินกล่าวว่า: "กะโหลกศีรษะนี้ถูกล้อมรอบด้วยวงแหวนแห่งเปลวไฟ มันหนาแน่นไปด้วยไขมัน เส้นเอ็น และเนื้อ และดูเหมือนดอกบัวสีแดง"

Word by Word

• गोविंदस्वामी: Govinda Svāmī
• गोविंदस्वामी: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविंद (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वामिन्/स्वामी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (गोविंदः स्वामी)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main predicate/मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एतत्-कपालम्: this skull
• एतत्-कपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एतत् कपालम्)

• अनल-ज्वाला-अवलय-वर्तुलम्: circular like a ring of fire-flames
• अनल-ज्वाला-अवलय-वर्तुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलय (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्तुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (अनलस्य ज्वाला; तस्याः अवलयः; तेन वर्तुलम्)

• वसा-कीकस-मांस-आढ्यम्: filled with fat, marrow, and flesh
• वसा-कीकस-मांस-आढ्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसा (प्रातिपदिक) + कीकस (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (वसया/वसादिभिः आढ्यम् = ‘rich with’)

• एतत्-रक्त-अम्बुज-उपमम्: like a red lotus
• एतत्-रक्त-अम्बुज-उपमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्तस्य अम्बुजस्य उपमम्) with deictic एतत्

Speaker

Govindasvāmin

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of a skull encircled by a halo-like ring of flames; viscous fat and sinew rendered as unsettling textures; the narrator’s metaphor overlays it with the shape/color of a red lotus, creating a disturbing double-vision.

Characters & Entities

• Govindasvāmin
• Kapāla (skull)
• Anala-jvālā (fire-flames)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the stark, impure reality of śmaśāna objects, reinforcing why dharma cautions against fascination and contact.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the scene belongs to the śmaśāna episode within the Setu Māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive statement about a skull amid pyre-flames.