Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

दण्डी कमंडलुकरः साक्षाद्वह्निरिवापरः । भेत्ता जगति गुह्यानां विग्रहाणां गुहोपमः

Transliteration

daṇḍī kamaṃḍalukaraḥ sākṣādvahnirivāparaḥ | bhettā jagati guhyānāṃ vigrahāṇāṃ guhopamaḥ

Translation

Mit Stab und Kamandalu in der Hand war er wie ein zweites, sichtbar gewordenes Feuer. In der Welt durchdrang er die Geheimnisse, höhlengleich im Erkennen verborgener Gestalten und Absichten.

Word by Word

• daṇḍī: staff-bearing
• daṇḍī: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṇḍin (प्रातिपदिक; -in suffix)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having a staff’

• kamaṇḍalu-karaḥ: with a water-pot in hand
• kamaṇḍalu-karaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kamaṇḍalu (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘having a kamaṇḍalu in hand’

• sākṣāt: directly, as if in person
• sākṣāt: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb ‘directly, manifestly’

• vahniḥ: fire
• vahniḥ: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upamana (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• aparaḥ: another (one)
• aparaḥ: Visheshya (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate adjective—‘another’

• bhettā: piercer, splitter
• bhettā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √bhid (धातु) → bhettṛ (कर्तृ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तृवाचक तृ-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘splitter/knower who pierces’

• jagati: in the world
• jagati: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative—‘in the world’

• guhyānām: of secrets
• guhyānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; genitive dependent on bhettā

• vigrahāṇām: of forms, bodies
• vigrahāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; genitive—‘of forms/bodies’

• guha-upamaḥ: like Guha (Skanda)
• guha-upamaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guha (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘comparable to Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)’

Speaker

Sūta (descriptive narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, staff and water-pot in hand, stands like a second fire—his gaze and presence exposing hidden intentions, as if entering the ‘caves’ of hearts.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Daṇḍa (staff)
• Kamaṇḍalu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual authority is marked by austerity and penetrating insight—able to see through hidden motives and realities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; the verse intensifies the sanctity of the narrative through Nārada’s ascetic majesty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is iconographic description rather than instruction.