Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वेदाभयेष्टांकुशटंकपाशकपालढक्काक्षकशूलपाणिः । सितद्युतिः पंचमुखोऽवतान्मामीशान ऊर्द्ध्वं परमप्रकाशः

Transliteration

vedābhayeṣṭāṃkuśaṭaṃkapāśakapālaḍhakkākṣakaśūlapāṇiḥ | sitadyutiḥ paṃcamukho'vatānmāmīśāna ūrddhvaṃ paramaprakāśaḥ

Translation

ঊৰ্ধ্বত পৰম প্ৰকাশময়, শুভ্ৰ দীপ্তিধাৰী, পঞ্চমুখ ঈশান—বেদ, অভয়-মুদ্ৰা, বৰ, অঙ্কুশ, টঙ্ক (কুঠাৰ), পাশ, কপাল, ঢক্কা, অক্ষ-মালা আৰু ত্ৰিশূল ধৰি—মোক অৱতৰি সদা ৰক্ষা কৰক।

Word by Word

• veda: Veda
• veda: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• abhaya: fearlessness; protection
• abhaya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular) — समासाङ्ग

• iṣṭa: desired boon; offering
• iṣṭa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣṭa (कृदन्त; √yaj इष्ट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular) — समासाङ्ग; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used nominally)

• aṅkuśa: goad
• aṅkuśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅkuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• ṭaṅka: chisel/axe-like implement
• ṭaṅka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṭaṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• pāśa: noose
• pāśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• kapāla: skull-bowl
• kapāla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• ḍhakkā: ḍhakkā drum
• ḍhakkā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍhakkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• akṣaka: rosary/dice (akṣa) item
• akṣaka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• śūla: trident/spear
• śūla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• pāṇiḥ: one whose hand bears (these weapons/objects)
• pāṇiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (veda-abhaya-iṣṭa-aṅkuśa-ṭaṅka-pāśa-kapāla-ḍhakkā-akṣaka-śūla-पाणि) = ‘एतानि पाणौ यस्य सः/यस्य पाणिः’ (one whose hand holds these)

• sita: white
• sita: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (qualifier)

• dyutiḥ: white radiance/splendour
• dyutiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dyuti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (sita-dyuti) = ‘श्वेता द्युतिः यस्य/या’

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; समासाङ्ग (numeral member)

• mukhaḥ: five-faced
• mukhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (pañca-mukha) = ‘पञ्च मुखानि यस्य सः’

• avatāt: may (he) protect
• avatāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अवतु/अवताद्’ अर्थे (may he protect)

• mām: me
• mām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• īśānaḥ: Īśāna (Lord Śiva)
• īśānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• ūrddhvam: above; upwards
• ūrddhvam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrddhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• parama: supreme
• parama: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• prakāśaḥ: supreme light/illumination
• prakāśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (parama-prakāśa) = ‘परमः प्रकाशः’

Speaker

Unknown (context suggests a Śaiva stotra/kavaca voice within the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical, luminous composition: Īśāna above, white and radiant, five faces oriented to directions, haloed; multiple arms holding Veda, abhaya and vara mudrā, aṅkuśa, axe, pāśa, kapāla, ḍhakkā, rosary, and trident; cosmic light streaming downward as protection.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Śiva
• Vedas
• Trident (Śūla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Śiva as the supreme light (parama-prakāśa) dispels fear and grants divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a universal Śiva-kavaca (protective hymn) within the Purāṇic setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the implied practice is devotional recitation (japa/pāṭha) of Śiva’s protective names and forms.