Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

अनुभूयेह दुःखानि संसारे भृशदारुणे । मनो यदा वियुज्येत तदा ध्येयो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

anubhūyeha duḥkhāni saṃsāre bhṛśadāruṇe | mano yadā viyujyeta tadā dhyeyo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

既在此世、于极其残酷的轮回中尝尽诸苦；当心念离著之时，当观想大自在天（Maheśvara）。

Word by Word

• अनुभूय: having experienced
• अनुभूय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having experienced’

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb: here/in this world)

• दुःखानि: sufferings
• दुःखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संसारे: in saṃsāra
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• भृश-दारुणे: very dreadful
• भृश-दारुणे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भृश (अव्यय) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (intensified adjective): ‘exceedingly dreadful’; विशेषण (of ‘saṃsāre’)

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb: when)

• वियुज्येत: should separate (from the body)
• वियुज्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; अर्थः—वियुक्तं भवेत् (should become separated)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (then)

• ध्येयः: is to be meditated upon
• ध्येयः: Vidhi (Injunctional predicate/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्येय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ध्यै धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative): ‘to be meditated upon’

• महेश्वरः: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘great lord’

Speaker

Śiva-yogin (teacher/guru speaking to the queen)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker sits amid symbols of worldly sorrow—broken garlands, withered leaves, passing crowds—then turns inward; Maheśvara appears as a tranquil yogin in the heart-lotus.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly suffering can mature into detachment; in that detachment, meditation on Śiva becomes the liberating focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse is a general dharma teaching on saṃsāra, vairāgya, and Śiva-dhyāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) on Maheśvara is explicitly prescribed.