Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

उत्तमांगविनाशाय विरिंचेः सृष्टिकारिणे । स्मशानवासिने नित्यं नमो भैरवरूपिणे

Transliteration

uttamāṃgavināśāya viriṃceḥ sṛṣṭikāriṇe | smaśānavāsine nityaṃ namo bhairavarūpiṇe

Translation

Ewige Verehrung dem Herrn in der Gestalt Bhairavas—Zerstörer des „höchsten Hauptes“ (des Gipfels des Hochmuts), Ursache hinter der Schöpfung Viriñcis (Brahmās) und ewiger Bewohner der Verbrennungsstätten.

Word by Word

• उत्तमाङ्गविनाशाय: to the destroyer of the head
• उत्तमाङ्गविनाशाय: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तमाङ्ग + विनाश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: उत्तमाङ्गस्य (शिरसः) विनाशः (i.e., ‘destroyer of the head’)

• विरिञ्चेः: of Viriñci (Brahmā)
• विरिञ्चेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरिञ्चि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सृष्टिकारिणे: to the creator of creation
• सृष्टिकारिणे: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि + कारिन् (कृ धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: सृष्टिं करोति इति

• श्मशानवासिने: to the dweller in the cremation-ground
• श्मशानवासिने: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान + वासिन् (वस् धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: श्मशाने वसति इति

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala/Avadhi (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, ‘नमो’ इत्यस्य पदच्छेदे ‘नमः’

• भैरवरूपिणे: to the one of Bhairava-form
• भैरवरूपिणे: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: भैरवरूपः यस्य

Speaker

Andhaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava stands in a cremation ground: garlanded, powerful, with a calm but terrifying gaze; behind him a subtle vision of Brahmā emerging from cosmic lotus/light, indicating Śiva as the cause; a symbolic ‘crown/head’ motif lies broken at Bhairava’s feet to show destruction of pride.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhairava
• Viriñci (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True divinity transcends social fear: Bhairava dwells even in the cremation ground, dissolving ego and revealing liberation beyond attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it supports the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya by praising the fierce, protective form (Bhairava) often associated with sacred precincts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a continuous salutation (nityaṃ namas) suitable for devotional recitation.