Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

मूर्धानमव्यान्मम चंद्रमौ लिर्भालं ममाव्यादथ भालनेत्रः । नेत्रे ममाव्याद्भगनेत्रहारी नासां सदा रक्षतु विश्वनाथः

Transliteration

mūrdhānamavyānmama caṃdramau lirbhālaṃ mamāvyādatha bhālanetraḥ | netre mamāvyādbhaganetrahārī nāsāṃ sadā rakṣatu viśvanāthaḥ

Translation

May the Moon-crested Lord protect my head; may the One with the forehead-eye protect my brow; may the remover of Bhaga’s eye protect my eyes; and may Viśvanātha ever guard my nose.

Word by Word

• mūrdhānam: head (crown)
• mūrdhānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• avyāt: may (he) protect
• avyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् (benedictive/optative usage in stotra), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अव्यात्’ = may he protect

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive Singular)

• candra: moon
• candra: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• mauliḥ: moon-crested (Śiva)
• mauliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (candra-mauli) = ‘चन्द्रः मौलौ यस्य/चन्द्रमौलिः’

• bhālam: forehead
• bhālam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन

• avyāt: may (he) protect
• avyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• atha: and then; also
• atha: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/particle)

• bhāla: forehead
• bhāla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• netraḥ: the one with the forehead-eye (Śiva)
• netraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bhāla-netra) = ‘भाले नेत्रं यस्य’ (one having an eye on the forehead)

• netre: (two) eyes
• netre: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-द्विवचन (Accusative Dual)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन

• avyāt: may (he) protect
• avyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhaga: Bhaga (a deity)
• bhaga: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग (proper name: Bhaga)

• netra: eye
• netra: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• hārī: remover of Bhaga’s eyes (Śiva)
• hārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bhaga-netra-hārin) = ‘भगस्य नेत्रे हरति इति’ (stealer of Bhaga’s eyes)

• nāsām: nose
• nāsām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• rakṣatu: may (he) protect
• rakṣatu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• viśva: universe
• viśva: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• nāthaḥ: Lord of the universe
• nāthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (viśva-nātha) = ‘विश्वस्य नाथः’

Speaker

Unknown (Śiva-kavaca voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvanātha (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, devotional protective nyāsa: Śiva with crescent moon in matted hair, third eye on forehead, serene yet powerful; devotee in front touching head and face points as the mantra assigns protection; subtle reference to Bhaga’s eye episode through a radiant third eye.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Candramauli
• Bhālanetra (Third Eye)
• Bhaga
• Viśvanātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s many epithets recall his cosmic sovereignty and protective grace over every faculty of perception.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The name Viśvanātha strongly resonates with Kāśī, yet this verse itself does not explicitly locate the praise at a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the structure indicates kavaca-style recitation for bodily and spiritual safeguarding.