Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

भैरवं रूपमास्थाय राक्षसानां वधाय च । धारयंत्यायुधानीत्थं विप्राणामभयाय च

Transliteration

bhairavaṃ rūpamāsthāya rākṣasānāṃ vadhāya ca | dhārayaṃtyāyudhānītthaṃ viprāṇāmabhayāya ca

Translation

Asumiendo una forma semejante a Bhairava para dar muerte a los rākṣasas, ella porta armas de este modo, para que los brāhmaṇas permanezcan sin temor.

Word by Word

• भैरवम्: terrifying / Bhairava-like
• भैरवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having assumed/taken’

• राक्षसानाम्: of the demons
• राक्षसानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वधाय: for the killing
• वधाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• धारयन्ती: bearing / holding
• धारयन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• आयुधानि: weapons
• आयुधानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इत्थम्: thus / in this manner
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अभयाय: for fearlessness / for protection
• अभयाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Chatrajā-kṣetrapālikā-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī Chatrajā transforms into a Bhairava-like fierce form, eyes wide and radiant, holding weapons; rākṣasas flee or fall, while brāhmaṇas stand behind her in safety, hands folded in gratitude.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Rākṣasas
• Vipra (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power defends dharma; fierce forms exist to remove adharma and establish fearless worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya region where the goddess manifests as a guardian against rākṣasas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse explains the deity’s protective, weapon-bearing manifestation.