Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81
कर्णस्थौ हि महानागौ कंबलाश्वतरौ तदा । वासुकिः सर्पराजश्च कृताहारो महाद्युति
karṇasthau hi mahānāgau kaṃbalāśvatarau tadā | vāsukiḥ sarparājaśca kṛtāhāro mahādyuti
Damals waren an seinen Ohren zwei große Schlangen—Kambala und Aśvatara—angebracht; und Vāsuki, der König der Schlangen, strahlend und wohlgenährt, schmückte ihn ebenfalls.
Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa by section convention)
Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha
Type: kshetra
Scene: Śiva adorned with two great serpents as ear-ornaments—Kambala and Aśvatara—while Vāsuki, radiant and robust, appears as a further nāga-adornment, emphasizing divine luminosity and controlled power.
FAQs
Śiva’s ornaments symbolize mastery over fear and death; even serpents become sacred adornments in his presence.
The iconographic darśana is narrated within Kedārakhaṇḍa, part of Kedāra’s Mahātmya tradition.
None; the verse provides devotional imagery for remembrance and contemplation.