Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

गजाजिनो द्विजिह्वाद्यलंकृतांगो जटाधरः । विरूपाक्षः कथंकारं निर्गुणः स्यात्तवोचितः

Transliteration

gajājino dvijihvādyalaṃkṛtāṃgo jaṭādharaḥ | virūpākṣaḥ kathaṃkāraṃ nirguṇaḥ syāttavocitaḥ

Translation

لابسٌ جلدَ الفيل، وجسدُه مُزَيَّنٌ بالأفاعي ونحوها، حاملٌ للجَتَا (الشَّعر المُلبَّد)، ذو عينين غريبتين—فكيف يكون من يُقال له «بلا صفات» لائقًا بكِ؟

Word by Word

• गजाजिनः: wearing elephant-hide
• गजाजिनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + अजिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गजस्य अजिनम् यस्य)

• द्विजिह्वादि-अलंकृत-अङ्गः: whose limbs are adorned with (serpents etc., beginning with) the two-tongued (snake)
• द्विजिह्वादि-अलंकृत-अङ्गः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अलंकृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग अलम्) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजिह्वादिभिः अलंकृतानि अङ्गानि यस्य)

• जटाधरः: matted-hair bearer
• जटाधरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (जटां धरति/जटा यस्य)

• विरूपाक्षः: odd/uneven-eyed
• विरूपाक्षः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विरूपम् अक्षि यस्य/विरूपाक्षः)

• कथंकारम्: doubt/‘how can it be?’
• कथंकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय) + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (कथम्-कारः = ‘how’-making, doubt)

• निर्गुणः: devoid of qualities
• निर्गुणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: might be/would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तव: of you/for you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• उचितः: suitable/appropriate
• उचितः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित (कृदन्त; √उच्/√वच्? (धातु) + क्त; रूढ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

Speaker

Brahmacārin/Vratī (ascetic) describing Śiva to Pārvatī (discouraging tone)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva depicted with elephant-hide garment, serpents as ornaments, matted locks, unusual eyes; a critic questions how such a nirguṇa being could befit Pārvatī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Nāga/serpents (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity transcends conventional beauty and social markers; Śiva’s ‘nirguṇa’ nature is beyond worldly evaluation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on Śiva’s ascetic iconography and transcendence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive and rhetorical, not a procedural instruction.