Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

त्रिशूलखट्वांगकुठारचर्ममृगाभयेष्टार्थपिनाकहस्तम् । वृषोपरिस्थं शितिकंठमीशं प्रोद्भूतमग्रे नृपतिर्ददर्श

Transliteration

triśūlakhaṭvāṃgakuṭhāracarmamṛgābhayeṣṭārthapinākahastam | vṛṣoparisthaṃ śitikaṃṭhamīśaṃ prodbhūtamagre nṛpatirdadarśa

Translation

The king saw the Lord manifested before him—blue-throated, seated upon the bull—whose hands bore the trident, the khatvāṅga staff, the axe, the hide, the deer, the gesture of fearlessness, the boon that grants desired aims, and the Pināka bow.

Word by Word

• त्रिशूलखट्वाङ्गकुठारचर्ममृगाभयेष्टार्थपिनाकहस्तम्: whose hand held the trident, club, axe, hide, deer, gesture of fearlessness, boon of desired objects, and the Pināka
• त्रिशूलखट्वाङ्गकुठारचर्ममृगाभयेष्टार्थपिनाकहस्तम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिशूल + खट्वाङ्ग + कुठार + चर्म + मृग + अभय + इष्टार्थ + पिनाक + हस्त (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: दीर्घ-तत्पुरुषसमास (अनेकेषां आयुधानां/वस्तूनां हस्ते धारणम्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वृषोपरिस्थम्: seated upon the bull
• वृषोपरिस्थम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष + उपरि + स्थ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (वृषस्य उपरि स्थितः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• शितिकण्ठम्: the blue-throated one
• शितिकण्ठम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिति + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (शितिः कण्ठः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ईशम्: the Lord
• ईशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रोद्भूतम्: manifested
• प्रोद्भूतम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-उद्-भू (धातु) → प्रोद्भूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (arisen/manifested)

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/निपातवत् (सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्): ‘पुरतः’

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (नॄणां पतिः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘अपश्यत्’ (he saw)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva appears before the king, seated upon Nandin the bull, blue-throated; multiple hands display trident, khaṭvāṅga, axe, hide, deer; one hand in abhaya-mudrā, another granting boons; Pināka present—an awe-inspiring guardian-king of the cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pināka
• Vṛṣa (Bull)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s manifested form combines protection (abhaya) and the granting of rightful aims, affirming that divine grace can halt ruin and restore dharmic direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the passage is a Śiva-darśana (deity-mahātmya) description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing Śiva’s attributes and protective presence.