Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

बहुशीर्षं महाघोरमेकपादं बहूदरम् । कमंडलुश्चास्य पश्चान्महर्षिगणसेवितः

Transliteration

bahuśīrṣaṃ mahāghoramekapādaṃ bahūdaram | kamaṃḍaluścāsya paścānmaharṣigaṇasevitaḥ

Translation

ثم جاء كائنٌ مروّعٌ ذو رؤوسٍ كثيرة، وقدمٍ واحدة، وبطونٍ عديدة؛ وخلفه تبِع الكَمَنْدَلو (إناء ماء الزاهد)، تحفّ به جماعاتُ المَهارِشي من العظماء.

Word by Word

• बहुशीर्षम्: many-headed
• बहुशीर्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• महाघोरम्: very terrible
• महाघोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• एकपादम्: one-footed
• एकपादम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (संख्यापूर्वपद); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• बहूदरम्: big-bellied/many-bellied
• बहूदरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• कमण्डलुः: water-pot (kamaṇḍalu)
• कमण्डलुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him/its
• अस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Possessive/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular); सर्वनाम

• पश्चात्: afterwards/behind
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: afterwards/behind)

• महर्षिगणसेवितः: served by groups of great sages
• महर्षिगणसेवितः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महर्षि + गण + सेवित (सेव् धातु + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dreadful, many-headed, one-footed, many-bellied being strides forward; behind it, a sanctified kamaṇḍalu glows, surrounded by venerable sages in orderly attendance.

Characters & Entities

• Kamaṇḍalu
• Maharṣis
• A multi-formed terrifying being (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The procession unites terrifying power and ascetic sanctity—Śiva’s path includes both awe-inspiring might and the purity of tapas represented by the kamaṇḍalu and sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse highlights ascetic emblems within the divine retinue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the presence of kamaṇḍalu and sages implies tapas and purity but gives no explicit rite.