Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 103
अघोरवक्त्रं त्रितयं प्रपद्ये अथर्वजुष्टं तव रूपकाणि । अघोरघोराणि च घोरघोराण्यहं सदानौमि भूतानि तुभ्यम्
aghoravaktraṃ tritayaṃ prapadye atharvajuṣṭaṃ tava rūpakāṇi | aghoraghorāṇi ca ghoraghorāṇyahaṃ sadānaumi bhūtāni tubhyam
Je prends refuge en Ton visage Aghora, le troisième. Tes formes sont chéries dans la tradition de l’Atharva. Qu’elles soient douces ou terribles, je m’incline sans cesse devant tous les êtres qui T’appartiennent et se meuvent sous Ta souveraineté.
A dvija devotee (as implied by the immediate narrative context)
Scene: Śiva’s Aghora face appears luminous yet formidable; around him are bhūta-gaṇas—yakṣas, piśācas, pramathas—rendered not as mere horrors but as disciplined attendants; the devotee bows without fear.
FAQs
Śiva encompasses both the benign and the fearsome; reverence to Him includes honoring the cosmic hosts (bhūtas) under His command.
No explicit tirtha is named; the focus is on Śiva’s Aghora aspect and His attendants.
Perpetual reverence (sadā naumi) and refuge-taking (prapadye) are emphasized, reflecting devotional discipline.