Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वेदाभयेष्टांकुशटंकपाशकपालढक्काक्षकशूलपाणिः । सितद्युतिः पंचमुखोऽवतान्मामीशान ऊर्द्ध्वं परमप्रकाशः

Transliteration

vedābhayeṣṭāṃkuśaṭaṃkapāśakapālaḍhakkākṣakaśūlapāṇiḥ | sitadyutiḥ paṃcamukho'vatānmāmīśāna ūrddhvaṃ paramaprakāśaḥ

Translation

Qu’Īśāna me protège—suprême clarté au-dessus, blanc d’éclat, aux cinq visages, portant les Veda, le geste d’absence de crainte, la grâce, l’aiguillon, la hache, le lacet, le crâne, le tambour ḍhakkā, le rosaire et le trident.

Word by Word

• veda: Veda
• veda: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular) — समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• abhaya: fearlessness; protection
• abhaya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular) — समासाङ्ग

• iṣṭa: desired boon; offering
• iṣṭa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣṭa (कृदन्त; √yaj इष्ट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular) — समासाङ्ग; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used nominally)

• aṅkuśa: goad
• aṅkuśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅkuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• ṭaṅka: chisel/axe-like implement
• ṭaṅka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṭaṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• pāśa: noose
• pāśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• kapāla: skull-bowl
• kapāla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• ḍhakkā: ḍhakkā drum
• ḍhakkā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍhakkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• akṣaka: rosary/dice (akṣa) item
• akṣaka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• śūla: trident/spear
• śūla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• pāṇiḥ: one whose hand bears (these weapons/objects)
• pāṇiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (veda-abhaya-iṣṭa-aṅkuśa-ṭaṅka-pāśa-kapāla-ḍhakkā-akṣaka-śūla-पाणि) = ‘एतानि पाणौ यस्य सः/यस्य पाणिः’ (one whose hand holds these)

• sita: white
• sita: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (qualifier)

• dyutiḥ: white radiance/splendour
• dyutiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dyuti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (sita-dyuti) = ‘श्वेता द्युतिः यस्य/या’

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; समासाङ्ग (numeral member)

• mukhaḥ: five-faced
• mukhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (pañca-mukha) = ‘पञ्च मुखानि यस्य सः’

• avatāt: may (he) protect
• avatāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अवतु/अवताद्’ अर्थे (may he protect)

• mām: me
• mām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• īśānaḥ: Īśāna (Lord Śiva)
• īśānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• ūrddhvam: above; upwards
• ūrddhvam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrddhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• parama: supreme
• parama: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• prakāśaḥ: supreme light/illumination
• prakāśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (parama-prakāśa) = ‘परमः प्रकाशः’

Speaker

Unknown (context suggests a Śaiva stotra/kavaca voice within the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical, luminous composition: Īśāna above, white and radiant, five faces oriented to directions, haloed; multiple arms holding Veda, abhaya and vara mudrā, aṅkuśa, axe, pāśa, kapāla, ḍhakkā, rosary, and trident; cosmic light streaming downward as protection.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Śiva
• Vedas
• Trident (Śūla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Śiva as the supreme light (parama-prakāśa) dispels fear and grants divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a universal Śiva-kavaca (protective hymn) within the Purāṇic setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the implied practice is devotional recitation (japa/pāṭha) of Śiva’s protective names and forms.