Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

भुजंगभोगांकितसर्वगात्रं पंचाननं सिंहविशालविक्रमम् । कर्पूरगौरे परयान्वितं च स वेद्धुकामो मदनस्तपस्विनम्

Transliteration

bhujaṃgabhogāṃkitasarvagātraṃ paṃcānanaṃ siṃhaviśālavikramam | karpūragaure parayānvitaṃ ca sa veddhukāmo madanastapasvinam

Translation

His entire body was marked with coiled serpents, five-faced, with lion-like vast valor; fair as camphor and accompanied by the Supreme Goddess—Madana, wishing to pierce him, took aim at that ascetic Lord.

Word by Word

• bhujaṃga-bhoga-aṃkita-sarva-gātram: whose whole body is marked with serpent-coils
• bhujaṃga-bhoga-aṃkita-sarva-gātram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhujaṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃkita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + gātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘भुजङ्गभोगैः अङ्कितानि सर्वगात्राणि यस्य’ (epithet of Śiva)

• paṃca-ānanam: the five-faced one
• paṃca-ānanam: Karman (Object; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃca (संख्या) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘पञ्च आननानि यस्य’

• siṃha-viśāla-vikramam: of lion-like mighty prowess
• siṃha-viśāla-vikramam: Karman (Object; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सिंहवत् विशालः विक्रमः यस्य’

• karpūra-gaure: in/with the camphor-fair (one)
• karpūra-gaure: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Reference: in/with regard to the fair one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karpūra (प्रातिपदिक) + gaura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘कर्पूर इव गौरः’

• parayā: with the supreme (one)
• parayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Accompaniment)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘with the supreme (power/consort)’

• anvitam: accompanied
• anvitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-i (धातु √इ) / anvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘accompanied/attended’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• veddhukāmaḥ: desiring to pierce
• veddhukāmaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veddhu (इच्छार्थ-प्रातिपदिक; from √vyadh ‘to pierce’) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘वेध्दुम् कामः’ = ‘desiring to pierce’

• madanaḥ: Madana (Kāma)
• madanaḥ: Karta (Subject; apposition to saḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tapasvinam: the ascetic
• tapasvinam: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; epithet of Śiva

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with coiled serpents adorning limbs, five faces, lion-like valor; Pārvatī beside him; Kāma poised to shoot, creating charged stillness before the strike.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Madana (Kāma)
• Bhujaṅga (serpents)
• Pañcānana (five-faced)
• Parā (Supreme Goddess/Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when desire targets the highest ascetic, Śiva’s divine sovereignty and purity stand beyond ordinary agitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, framed as the arena of Śiva’s supreme tapas and divine iconography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative and contemplative (dhyāna-like) in tone.