Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

जुगोपापरमग्निश्च ज्वालापूरितदिङ्मुखः । पृष्ठरक्षोऽभव द्विष्णुः समरेशः शतक्रतोः

Transliteration

jugopāparamagniśca jvālāpūritadiṅmukhaḥ | pṛṣṭharakṣo'bhava dviṣṇuḥ samareśaḥ śatakratoḥ

Translation

Und der höchste Agni, dessen Flammen die Antlitze aller Himmelsrichtungen erfüllten, stand als Wächter der Rückseite; und Dviṣṇu, herrisch im Kampf, wurde zum Rückenschutz Śatakratus (Indras).

Word by Word

• jugopa: protected/guarded
• jugopa: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gup (गुप्)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect/लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• aparam: the other/further
• aparam: Karman (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa (to agnim)

• agnim: Agni (fire-god)
• agnim: Karman
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• jvālā: flame
• jvālā: Karta (qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jvālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana (compound-resolved)

• pūrita: filled
• pūrita: Karta (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrita (कृदन्त; √pṝ/√pūr (पूर्) + kta)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; bhūtakṛdanta, viśeṣaṇa

• diṅmukhaḥ: whose faces are the directions / the quarters
• diṅmukhaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś + mukha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; diṅ-mukha = ‘direction-faces’ i.e., quarters

• pṛṣṭha: back
• pṛṣṭha: Sambandha (compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, (compound-member)

• rakṣaḥ: guard/protector
• rakṣaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; in compound pṛṣṭha-rakṣaḥ = ‘back-guard’

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: Laṅ (Imperfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• dviṣṇuḥ: Dviṣṇu (a deity/warrior name)
• dviṣṇuḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: dviṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक; epithet)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• samareśaḥ: lord of battle
• samareśaḥ: Karta (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samara + īśa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; samara-īśa = ‘lord of battle’

• śatakratoḥ: of Indra (Śatakratu)
• śatakratoḥ: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata + kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th), Ekavacana

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, immense and blazing, with flames filling all directions, stands as rear-guard behind Indra’s position; another warrior-deity (Dviṣṇu) also assumes protective stance in the battle array.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Dviṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection of righteousness requires coordinated strength—front and rear—symbolizing vigilance in all directions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse describes martial protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.