Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

सुपर्णाक्षं सहस्राक्षे सुसूक्ष्मं कार्तिकेश्वरे । भवं वस्त्रापथे देवि ह्युग्रं कनखले तथा

Transliteration

suparṇākṣaṃ sahasrākṣe susūkṣmaṃ kārtikeśvare | bhavaṃ vastrāpathe devi hyugraṃ kanakhale tathā

Translation

في سَهَسْرَاكْصَة يُعبَد باسم «سُوبَرْنَاكْصَة»؛ وفي كَارْتِكِيشْوَرَة باسم «سُوسُوكْشْمَة» الألطف والأدقّ. يا دِيفِي، في ڤَسْتْرَابَثَة يُبَجَّل باسم «بْهَڤَة» مصدر التكوّن؛ وفي كَنَخَلَة باسم «أُغْرَة» الحامي الشديد.

Word by Word

• सुपर्णाक्षम्: Suparṇākṣa (name/form)
• सुपर्णाक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपर्णाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सुपर्णः + अक्षः/अक्षि)

• सहस्राक्षे: at Sahasrākṣa
• सहस्राक्षे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (सहस्राणि अक्षाणि यस्य)

• सुसूक्ष्मम्: the very subtle one (name/form)
• सुसूक्ष्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुसूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सु + सूक्ष्म)

• कार्तिकेश्वरे: at Kārtikeśvara
• कार्तिकेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कार्तिकस्य + ईश्वरः)

• भवम्: Bhava (a name of Śiva)
• भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वस्त्रापथे: at Vastrāpatha
• वस्त्रापथे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्रस्य + पथः)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक (particle: indeed/for)

• उग्रम्: Ugra (the fierce one; name/form)
• उग्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कनखले: at Kanakhala
• कनखले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनखल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (with a quoted address 'devī' preserved in the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasrākṣa / Kārtikeśvara / Vastrāpatha / Kanakhala (clustered listing)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four shrines with distinct iconography: Sahasrākṣa with a many-eyed cosmic motif; Kārtikeśvara with austere subtle light around a liṅga; Vastrāpatha with pilgrims offering cloth and garlands (vastra-dāna symbolism); Kanakhala on Gaṅgā banks with Ugra aspect—trident, protective aura, and river mist.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Sahasrākṣa
• Kārtikeśvara
• Vastrāpatha
• Kanakhala
• Suparṇākṣa
• Susūkṣma
• Bhava
• Ugra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is also remembrance: each tīrtha trains the mind to approach the same Lord through a particular divine quality—subtlety, fierceness, or creative power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sahasrākṣa, Kārtikeśvara, Vastrāpatha, and Kanakhala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is directly prescribed; the emphasis is on nāma-smaraṇa (recalling Śiva’s site-linked names).