Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भैरवे भैरवाकारममरं पूर्वसागरे । सप्तगोदावरे भीमं स्वयंभूर्निर्मलेश्वरे

Transliteration

bhairave bhairavākāramamaraṃ pūrvasāgare | saptagodāvare bhīmaṃ svayaṃbhūrnirmaleśvare

Translation

In Bhairava offenbart er sich in der Gestalt Bhairavas; im Östlichen Ozean wird er als Amara (der Unsterbliche) verehrt. In Saptagodāvara ist er Bhīma, und in Nirmaleśvara ist er Svayaṃbhū (selbstmanifest).

Word by Word

• भैरवे: at Bhairava (tīrtha/place)
• भैरवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भैरवाकारम्: having the form of Bhairava
• भैरवाकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भैरवस्य आकारः)

• अमरम्: immortal
• अमरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वसागरे: in the eastern ocean
• पूर्वसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (पूर्वः सागरः)

• सप्तगोदावरे: at Saptagodāvara (place)
• सप्तगोदावरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + गोदावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सप्त गोदावराः/गोदावरी-सम्बन्धः)

• भीमम्: Bhīma (name of Śiva/linga)
• भीमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्भूः: Svayambhū (self-manifest)
• स्वयम्भूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• निर्मलेश्वरे: at Nirmaleśvara (place/linga)
• निर्मलेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्मल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (निर्मलः ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairava; Pūrvāsāgara; Saptagodāvara; Nirmaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devi (addressed as ‘devī’ in the surrounding passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrimage-map tableau: four vignettes around a central Śiva-liṅga—Bhairava-form with trident and skull-garland; a serene ‘Amara’ liṅga by the eastern sea; a fierce Bhīma liṅga near branching Godāvarī mouths; a naturally arisen (svayaṃbhū) liṅga at a pristine Nirmaleśvara grove.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhairava
• Pūrvasāgara (Eastern Ocean)
• Saptagodāvara
• Nirmaleśvara
• Bhīma
• Svayaṃbhū
• Amara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is both awe-inspiring (Bhairava, Bhīma) and transcendent (Amara), and he can be directly encountered as self-manifest (Svayaṃbhū) in holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhairava-kṣetra, the Pūrvasāgara (Eastern Ocean region), Saptagodāvara, and Nirmaleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes darśana and nāma-recitation associated with each tīrtha.