Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दध्यौ सुदक्षिणे देवं विरूपाक्षं त्रिशूलिनम् । जटामुकुटसंयुक्तं व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिनम्

Transliteration

dadhyau sudakṣiṇe devaṃ virūpākṣaṃ triśūlinam | jaṭāmukuṭasaṃyuktaṃ vyālayajñopavītinam

Translation

দক্ষিণমুখে তেওঁ দেৱতা—বিৰূপাক্ষ ত্ৰিশূলধাৰী—ক ধ্যান কৰিলে; জটামুকুটে বিভূষিত আৰু সৰ্পক যজ্ঞোপবীতৰূপে ধাৰণ কৰা।

Word by Word

• dadhyau: meditated
• dadhyau: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• sudakṣiṇe: in Sudakṣiṇa (place)
• sudakṣiṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण) एकवचनम्; स्थानवाचक (in Sudakṣiṇa)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचनम्

• virūpākṣam: the odd/three-eyed (Virūpākṣa)
• virūpākṣam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः (yasya akṣī virūpe); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; देवस्य विशेषणम्

• triśūlinam: trident-bearing
• triśūlinam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या) + śūlin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (triśūlaṃ yasya/triśūlī); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; देवस्य विशेषणम्

• jaṭā: matted hair
• jaṭā: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (locks of hair)

• mukuṭa: crown
• mukuṭa: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुषसमासे मध्यपदम् (crown)

• saṃyuktam: adorned/combined (with)
• saṃyuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√yuj (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; देवस्य विशेषणम् (endowed/connected with)

• vyāla: snake
• vyāla: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुषसमासे पूर्वपदम् (serpent)

• yajñopavītinam: wearing a sacred thread (of snakes)
• yajñopavītinam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + upavīta (प्रातिपदिक) + -in (इन्)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (yajñopavītaṃ yasya); इन्-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; देवस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇa-saṅgama (Narmadā–Aurvī) as dhyāna-sthala

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic meditates facing south, visualizing Virūpākṣa Śiva with triśūla, towering jaṭā-mukuṭa, and a serpent worn as yajñopavīta; the river confluence glimmers behind.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Virūpākṣa)
• Trident (triśūla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is supported by focused dhyāna on Śiva, visualizing the deity with traditional attributes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice occurs on the Narmadā/Revā bank within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) upon Śiva, oriented “facing south” as described.