Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

वृषभं तु समारूढो दशबाहुसमन्वितः । भस्माङ्गरागशोभाढ्यः पञ्चवक्त्रस्त्रिलोचनः

Transliteration

vṛṣabhaṃ tu samārūḍho daśabāhusamanvitaḥ | bhasmāṅgarāgaśobhāḍhyaḥ pañcavaktrastrilocanaḥ

Translation

Auf dem Stier reitend, mit zehn Armen begabt, geschmückt vom Glanz der heiligen Asche auf seinen Gliedern—fünfgesichtig und dreiäugig—erschien der Herr.

Word by Word

• वृषभम्: the bull (Nandin)
• वृषभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• समारूढः: mounted
• समारूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; PPP of √रुह् with उपसर्ग सम्+आ; English: having mounted

• दश-बाहु-समन्वितः: endowed with ten arms
• दश-बाहु-समन्वितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दश बाहवः यस्य सः/दशबाहुभिः समन्वितः—अर्थतः बहुव्रीहि-सदृशः, रूपतः समास); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; adjective of महेश्वरः

• भस्म-अङ्ग-राग-शोभा-आढ्यः: rich in the beauty of ash-anointing
• भस्म-अङ्ग-राग-शोभा-आढ्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + राग (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभा (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (भस्मना अङ्गरागः, तस्य शोभा, तया आढ्यः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पञ्च-वक्त्रः: five-faced
• पञ्च-वक्त्रः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य—अर्थतः बहुव्रीहि-सदृशः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्रि-लोचनः: three-eyed
• त्रि-लोचनः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य—अर्थतः बहुव्रीहि-सदृशः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within the Anasūyā episode at Revā/Narmadā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva appears mounted on Nandin the bull, ten-armed, ash-smeared, five-faced and three-eyed—an overwhelming, radiant form dominating the riverbank while sages and gods stand in reverent stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśvara)
• Vṛṣabha (Nandin)
• Bhasma
• Trilocana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s form teaches renunciation and sovereignty—ash signifies detachment, while the third eye signifies higher knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank, where Maheśvara is described as visibly present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct instruction; the imagery supports Shaiva practices like bhasma-dhāraṇa, but it is not mandated here.