Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भैरवं रूपमास्थाय प्रेतासनपरिग्रहः । त्रैलोक्यस्याभयं दत्त्वा चचार विपुलं तपः

Transliteration

bhairavaṃ rūpamāsthāya pretāsanaparigrahaḥ | trailokyasyābhayaṃ dattvā cacāra vipulaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

Revêtant la forme de Bhairava, prenant pour siège un preta (esprit), Il accorda l’absence de crainte aux trois mondes, puis entreprit de vastes austérités.

Word by Word

• भैरवम्: terrible, Bhairava
• भैरवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रूपम्)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः—आ

• प्रेतासनपरिग्रहः: one who has taken a corpse-seat
• प्रेतासनपरिग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतासन + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रेतासनस्य परिग्रहः = one who has taken a seat of a corpse)

• त्रैलोक्यस्य: of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रि + लोक)

• अभयम्: fearlessness, safety
• अभयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• चचार: practised/performed
• चचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant, great
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairava-tapas-sthala (within Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (राजेन्द्र)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava form of the Deva sits upon a preta-seat, radiating terrifying majesty; with one gesture He grants fearlessness to the three worlds, then enters deep austerity—stillness after storm-like power.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava (Śiva)
• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power protects the cosmos (abhaya) while also exemplifying tapas—spiritual discipline as a source of order and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse contributes to the Bhairava-centered māhātmya that culminates in a named Śiva-sthāna in this chapter’s narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the focus is on Bhairava’s form, protection, and austerity.