Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ते वै त्रिशूलखट्वांगटंकचर्मासिपाणयः । चंद्रार्धभूषणाः सांद्रचंद्रकुंदोरुवर्चसः

Transliteration

te vai triśūlakhaṭvāṃgaṭaṃkacarmāsipāṇayaḥ | caṃdrārdhabhūṣaṇāḥ sāṃdracaṃdrakuṃdoruvarcasaḥ

Translation

Indeed, they bore in their hands tridents, skull-topped staffs, axes, shields, and swords; adorned with the crescent moon, their splendor was dense and radiant like the moon and white jasmine blossoms.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/उपपादक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• त्रिशूल-खट्वाङ्ग-टङ्क-चर्म-असि-पाणयः: having hands bearing tridents, clubs, axes, hides, and swords
• त्रिशूल-खट्वाङ्ग-टङ्क-चर्म-असि-पाणयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक) + खट्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + टङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + असि (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां पाणयः एतेषु आयुधेषु—'whose hands (bear) ...')

• चन्द्र-अर्ध-भूषणाः: adorned with a half-moon
• चन्द्र-अर्ध-भूषणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास ('those whose ornament is a half-moon')

• सान्द्र-चन्द्र-कुन्द-उरु-वर्चसः: of broad, intense radiance like the moon and jasmine
• सान्द्र-चन्द्र-कुन्द-उरु-वर्चसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सान्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कुन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + उरु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास ('whose radiance is broad and dense like moon and jasmine')

Speaker

Narrator (first-person voice in the passage; exact attribution not in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four gaṇas stand armed—triśūla, khaṭvāṅga, axe, shield, sword—each crowned with a crescent ornament; their bodies glow with thick, cool-white radiance like moonlight and jasmine clusters.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-kiṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s attendants embody both protection and transcendence—fearsome weapons paired with lunar purity—suggesting divine power that destroys evil and guards devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is mentioned.