Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कुठारवेदांकुशपाशशूलकपालढक्काक्षगुणान्दधानः । चतुर्मुखो नीलरुचिस्त्रिनेत्रः पायादघोरो दिशि दक्षिणस्याम्

Transliteration

kuṭhāravedāṃkuśapāśaśūlakapālaḍhakkākṣaguṇāndadhānaḥ | caturmukho nīlarucistrinetraḥ pāyādaghoro diśi dakṣiṇasyām

Translation

Möge Aghora mich in der südlichen Richtung schützen: viergesichtig, dreiäugig, von dunkelblauer Ausstrahlung, die Axt, die Veda, den Treibhaken, die Schlinge, den Dreizack, den Schädel, die ḍhakkā-Trommel, die Gebetskette und die Bogensehne tragend.

Word by Word

• कुठार-वेद-अङ्कुश-पाश-शूल-कपाल-ढक्का-अक्ष-गुणान्: axes, Vedas, goad, noose, trident, skull, drum, rosary-beads, and bowstring
• कुठार-वेद-अङ्कुश-पाश-शूल-कपाल-ढक्का-अक्ष-गुणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुठार (प्रातिपदिक) + वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + कपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + ढक्का (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (आयुध-समूहः) — Accusative plural objects held

• दधानः: bearing
• दधानः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘bearing/holding’

• चतुर्-मुखः: four-faced
• चतुर्-मुखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular adjective

• नील-रुचिः: blue-lustred
• नील-रुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + रुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — Nominative singular adjective

• त्रि-नेत्रः: three-eyed
• त्रि-नेत्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular adjective

• पायात्: may (he) protect
• पायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — may he protect

• अघोरः: Aghora
• अघोरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular (name/epithet)

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• दक्षिणस्याम्: southern
• दक्षिणस्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिशि) — Locative singular feminine

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (dik-rakṣā kavaca)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aghora in the southern direction: four-faced, three-eyed, dark-blue, holding a dense array of weapons and ritual items—axe, Veda, goad, noose, trident, skull, ḍhakkā drum, rosary, bowstring—forming a protective arsenal.

Characters & Entities

• Aghora
• Śiva
• South (Dakṣiṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Invoking Aghora establishes divine guardianship; Śiva’s fierce compassion removes obstacles and fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is specified; the verse functions as a southern-direction protective formula.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dik-bandhana style protection: invoking Aghora in the south while reciting the kavaca.