Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एकनेत्राश्चतुर्नेत्रा दीर्घाः केचन वामनाः । समंतात्परिवार्येशं भूतनाथमुपासते

Transliteration

ekanetrāścaturnetrā dīrghāḥ kecana vāmanāḥ | samaṃtātparivāryeśaṃ bhūtanāthamupāsate

Translation

كان منهم ذو عينٍ واحدة، ومنهم ذو أربع عيون؛ ومنهم طوالٌ ومنهم أقزام. أحاطوا بالرب من كل جانب وعبدوا إيشا (Īśa)، بهوتاناثا (Bhūtanātha)، سيد جميع الكائنات.

Word by Word

• एकनेत्राः: one-eyed
• एकनेत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; एक + नेत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• चतुर्नेत्राः: four-eyed
• चतुर्नेत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + नेत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दीर्घाः: tall/long
• दीर्घाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• केचन: some (persons)
• केचन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• वामनाः: dwarfs
• वामनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• समन्तात्: from all sides, all around
• समन्तात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘from all sides/around’

• परिवार्य: having surrounded
• परिवार्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-√वृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव-रूप कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having surrounded’

• ईशम्: the Lord
• ईशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भूतनाथम्: lord of beings
• भूतनाथम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; भूत + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपासते: they worship
• उपासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of uncanny attendants—one-eyed, four-eyed, tall and dwarfish—surround Śiva in a protective devotional circle, hands folded or offering flowers, incense, and drums; the mood is reverent yet eerie.

Characters & Entities

• Īśa
• Bhūtanātha (Śiva)
• bhūtas (beings/attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All varieties of beings find their place around Īśa; devotion to Śiva transcends outward form and difference.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on the cosmic court of Śiva (Bhūtanātha) rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly—only the act of upāsanā (reverent worship/attendance) of Śiva is described.