Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

नमो ब्रह्मण्य देवाय सितभूतिधराय च । पंचवक्त्राय रूपाय नीरूपाय नमोनमः

Transliteration

namo brahmaṇya devāya sitabhūtidharāya ca | paṃcavaktrāya rūpāya nīrūpāya namonamaḥ

Translation

Ehrerbietung, immer wieder, dem Herrn, der den Brāhmaṇas gewogen ist und die heilige Ordnung wahrt; der die weiße Asche trägt; der sich mit fünf Antlitzen offenbart und doch jenseits aller Gestalt ist—namo namah.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे (salutatory use)

• ब्रह्मण्य: to the Brahmin-favoring one
• ब्रह्मण्य: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (protector/favorer of Brahmins/veda)

• देवाय: to the god
• देवाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सितभूतिधराय: to the bearer of white sacred ash
• सितभूतिधराय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सित + भूतिः + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — सितां भूतिं धरतीति (wearer of white ash)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• पञ्चवक्त्राय: to the five-faced one
• पञ्चवक्त्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (द्विगु) — पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य

• रूपाय: to the form (embodiment)
• रूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नीरूपाय: to the formless one
• नीरूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि: + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — निर्-रूपः (formless)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• नमः: salutation (again)
• नमः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-नमस्कारः (repeated salutation)

Speaker

Unspecified (stotra voice within Tīrthamāhātmya narration; attributed to the hymn-reciter in the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva shown as Pañcavaktra—five serene faces oriented to directions—body smeared with white vibhūti; behind the icon, a subtle empty radiance suggests the nirūpa, beyond depiction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhasma
• Pañcavaktra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is both manifest (with attributes like five faces) and transcendent (formless), so devotion and philosophy meet in one worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the immediate tīrtha-name is not stated in this single shloka snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it functions as a namaskāra-mantra suitable for japa and stotra-recitation at a tīrtha.