Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नमोनमो वस्त्रिदशोत्तमेभ्यस्त्रिलोचनश्रीचरणानुगेभ्यः । त्रिलोकरक्षाविधिमावहद्भ्यस्त्रिशूलचर्मासिगदाधरेभ्यः

Transliteration

namonamo vastridaśottamebhyastrilocanaśrīcaraṇānugebhyaḥ | trilokarakṣāvidhimāvahadbhyastriśūlacarmāsigadādharebhyaḥ

Translation

Ehrerbietung, Ehrerbietung euch — den Besten unter den Göttern, den ergebenen Gefolgsleuten der herrlichen Füße des Dreiaugigen Herrn. Ihr, die ihr die Ordnung zum Schutz der drei Welten wahrt, Trishula, Fell, Schwert und Keule tragend!

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः) / Indeclinable particle of salutation

• नमः: salutation again
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्त-नमस्कारः) / Indeclinable salutation (repeated)

• वः: to you / of you
• वः: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन / Pronoun, Genitive plural

• त्रिदशोत्तमेभ्यः: to the best among the gods
• त्रिदशोत्तमेभ्यः: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया? न; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन / Masculine, Dative plural; समासः—त्रिदशानाम् उत्तमाः

• त्रिलोचन: three-eyed (O one)
• त्रिलोचन: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + लोचन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थे) / Masculine, Vocative/Nominative singular used as epithet

• श्रीचरणानुगेभ्यः: to the followers of the auspicious feet
• श्रीचरणानुगेभ्यः: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + चरण + अनुग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन / Masculine, Dative plural; समासः—श्रीचरणान् अनुगच्छन्ति ये

• त्रिलोक: of the three worlds
• त्रिलोक: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) / Masculine, Genitive singular in compound

• रक्षा: protection
• रक्षा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा? (समासपूर्वपद) / Feminine stem used in compound

• विधिम्: the ordinance/arrangement
• विधिम्: Karma/Object (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन / Masculine, Accusative singular

• आवहत्भ्यः: to those who bring about
• आवहत्भ्यः: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + वह् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग / Present active participle, Dative plural, Masculine; ‘आवहद्भ्यः’

• त्रिशूल: trident
• त्रिशूल: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + शूल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद) / Neuter stem in compound

• चर्म: hide/skin
• चर्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद) / Neuter stem in compound

• असि: sword
• असि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद) / Masculine stem in compound

• गदा: mace
• गदा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद) / Feminine stem in compound

• धरेभ्यः: to the bearers (holders)
• धरेभ्यः: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ण्वुल्/कर्तृवाचक-प्रातिपदिक ‘धर’), चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग / Agent noun ‘bearer’, Dative plural, Masculine

Speaker

Yamadūta (messenger of Yama), addressing Śivadūtas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva-dūtas/gaṇas (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of radiant Śiva-messengers/gaṇas stand in a protective formation, bearing triśūla, khaḍga, gadā, and clad with a tiger/animal hide; behind them a subtle aura of the three worlds under protection; the devotee offers folded hands in reverent stuti.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Trilocana)
• Śivadūtas
• Triloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the agents of death acknowledge the higher, protective authority of Śiva’s attendants and the supremacy of devotion to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on Śiva’s divine retinue and cosmic protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it functions as a reverential salutation (namaskāra/stuti).