Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

गजासुरविनाशाय ह्यंधकासुरभेदिने । नीललोहितशुक्लाय चण्डमुण्डप्रियाय च

Transliteration

gajāsuravināśāya hyaṃdhakāsurabhedine | nīlalohitaśuklāya caṇḍamuṇḍapriyāya ca

Translation

Verehrung dem Vernichter Gajāsuras, dem Spalter des Dämons Andhaka. Verehrung Ihm, der blau, rot und weiß ist; und Ihm, der Caṇḍa und Muṇḍa lieb ist.

Word by Word

• गजासुरविनाशाय: for the destruction of Gajāsura
• गजासुरविनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजासुरविनाश (प्रातिपदिक) = गज + असुर + विनाश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/उद्देश्य), एकवचन; हेतु-अर्थे (for the purpose of destroying)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; बलार्थ/समर्थनार्थ (indeed/for)

• अन्धकासुरभेदिने: to the slayer/splitter of Andhakāsura
• अन्धकासुरभेदिने: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धकासुरभेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक) = अन्धकासुर + भेदिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; -इन्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun: splitter)

• नीललोहितशुक्लाय: to the one of blue, red, and white (hues)
• नीललोहितशुक्लाय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीललोहितशुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) = नील + लोहित + शुक्ल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्णत्रय-समाहार (having blue, red, and white)

• चण्डमुण्डप्रियाय: to the one dear to Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa
• चण्डमुण्डप्रियाय: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डमुण्डप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) = चण्ड + मुण्ड + प्रिय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रिय = 'dear to' (priya-to)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (r̥ṣis/śaunaka-group style frame typical of Purāṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Himalayan Kedāra offers namaskāra to Śiva visualized as the slayer of Gajāsura and the splitter of Andhaka—Śiva shimmering in blue, red, and white hues, with fierce attendants and a cremation-ground aura hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gajāsura
• Andhakāsura
• Caṇḍa
• Muṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is invoked as the remover of demonic forces—symbolizing the destruction of ignorance, arrogance, and obstruction on the spiritual path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa setting frames these epithets as part of Kedāra’s Śiva-glorification and protective Mahatmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a protective praise (rakṣā-stuti) suitable for recitation.