Shloka 26

Vāmadeva-mata: Rahasya-upadeśa

The Esoteric Teaching of Vāmadeva’s Doctrine

Devanagari script

स्कन्दाय स्कन्दरूपाय मिहिरारुणेतेजसे । नमो मन्दारमालोद्यन्मुकुटादिभृते सदा

Transliteration

skandāya skandarūpāya mihirāruṇetejase | namo mandāramālodyanmukuṭādibhṛte sadā

Translation

Stets sei Skanda Verehrung dargebracht—ihm, dessen Gestalt Skanda ist—dessen Glanz der rötlichen Morgenröte der Sonne gleicht. Immer trägt er eine strahlende Krone und weiteren Schmuck und ist mit einer Girlande aus Mandāra-Blüten geziert.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दाय: to Skanda
• स्कन्दाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन

• स्कन्द-रूपाय: to him whose form is Skanda-like / Skanda-formed
• स्कन्द-रूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्कन्दस्य रूपम्); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मिहिर-अरुण-तेजसे: to him whose splendor is reddish like the sun
• मिहिर-अरुण-तेजसे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिहिर (प्रातिपदिक) + अरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मिहिरस्य अरुणं तेजः यस्य/यस्य तेजः मिहिरारुणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (तेजस्), चतुर्थी, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/भाव (भावार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमस्कारार्थक-निपात); सामान्यतः चतुर्थी-सम्बन्धे प्रयुज्यते

• मन्दार-माला-उद्यत्-मुकुट-आदि-भृते: to the bearer of a crown etc. shining with a garland of mandāra flowers
• मन्दार-माला-उद्यत्-मुकुट-आदि-भृते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दार (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्यत् (कृदन्त; √उद्/उद्-गम्) + मुकुट (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (कृदन्त; √भृ धातु)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; भृत् = शतृ/क्विप्-आधारित धात्वर्थक कृदन्त (bearer), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; विशेषण (स्कन्दाय)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the hymn within the Kailāsa-saṃhitā context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Functions as a Skanda-stuti within a Śaiva frame: honoring Śiva’s śakti (divine power) manifest as the commander who removes obstacles to Śiva-bhakti and protects dharma.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: skandāya skandarūpāya mihirāruṇetejase | namo mandāramālodyanmukuṭādibhṛte sadā

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Kartikeya (Skanda)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

The verse is a bhakti-salutation that contemplates Skanda’s auspicious, luminous form; in a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such reverent praise refines the devotee’s mind (citta-śuddhi) and aligns one with Shiva’s grace flowing through His divine household.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

While Liṅga worship points to Shiva’s transcendent reality, this verse exemplifies saguna-upāsanā—adoration of a manifest divine form. In Shaiva tradition, devotion to Skanda is understood as devotion within Shiva’s sphere, supporting steadiness in Shiva-bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Use the verse as a short stotra for japa or recitation, visualizing Skanda’s dawn-like radiance and offering flowers (especially symbolic mandāra/pushpa) mentally or physically; conclude by remembering Shiva with the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) as the inner source of all divine splendor.