Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

दधानं कमलं हस्ते सर्वविप्रविनाशनम् । रक्षणाय च लोकानां नगराद्दक्षिणाश्रितम्

Transliteration

dadhānaṃ kamalaṃ haste sarvavipravināśanam | rakṣaṇāya ca lokānāṃ nagarāddakṣiṇāśritam

Translation

Einen Lotos in der Hand tragend, vernichtet er alles, was den Brahmanen Verderben bringt; und zum Schutz der Welten weilt er südlich der Stadt.

Word by Word

• दधानम्: holding/bearing
• दधानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धा (धातु) → दधान (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (Present active participle; Neuter Nom/Acc Singular)

• कमलम्: lotus
• कमलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• हस्ते: in the hand
• हस्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• सर्वविप्रविनाशनम्: destroyer of all brāhmaṇas
• सर्वविप्रविनाशनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + विप्र + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Neuter Nom/Acc Singular; ‘destroyer of all brāhmaṇas’)

• रक्षणाय: for protection
• रक्षणाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ दत्तिव (Dative singular; purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• नगरात्: from the city
• नगरात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• दक्षिणाश्रितम्: situated to the south
• दक्षिणाश्रितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा + आश्रित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) (Neuter Nom/Acc Singular; ‘situated on the south’)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective deity stands to the south of a sacred city, holding a lotus—symbol of purity and auspiciousness—radiating guardianship, as unseen threats to brāhmaṇas and dharma are dispelled.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guardianship protects society’s dharmic pillars (vipras) and thereby safeguards the world’s well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred location ‘south of the city’ within the Dharmāraṇya setting is implied, suggesting a protective shrine-zone in the region’s holy topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it indicates a protective placement (south of the city) that can guide circumambulation and pilgrimage mapping.