Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

गालव उवाच । जपन्भस्म च खट्वांगं कपालं स्फाटिकं तथा । रुंडमालां पंचवक्त्रमर्द्धचंद्रं च मूर्द्धनि

Transliteration

gālava uvāca | japanbhasma ca khaṭvāṃgaṃ kapālaṃ sphāṭikaṃ tathā | ruṃḍamālāṃ paṃcavaktramarddhacaṃdraṃ ca mūrddhani

Translation

Gālava dit : «(Qu’il porte) le japa et la cendre sacrée, le bâton khaṭvāṅga et le kapāla, limpide comme le cristal ; une guirlande de têtes tranchées ; la forme aux cinq visages ; et le croissant de lune sur le sommet de la tête.»

Word by Word

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• जपन्: chanting
• जपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘जपन्’ = chanting/reciting

• भस्म: ashes
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

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

• खट्वाङ्गम्: a skull-topped staff (khaṭvāṅga)
• खट्वाङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खट्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कपालम्: a skull-bowl/skull
• कपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्फाटिकम्: crystal-like; made of crystal
• स्फाटिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फाटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कपालम्’/उपकरणम्)

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• रुण्डमालाम्: a garland of heads
• रुण्डमालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुण्ड + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुण्डानां माला)

• पञ्चवक्त्रमर्द्धचन्द्रम्: the five-faced (mark) and the half-moon
• पञ्चवक्त्रमर्द्धचन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र + अर्द्धचन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (निर्धारण/विशेषण-सम्बन्धः) ‘पञ्चवक्त्र’ + ‘अर्द्धचन्द्र’ (as an epithet/mark)

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

• मूर्धनि: on the head
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śūdra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gālava describes the vratin’s Śaiva emblems: ash-smeared body, khaṭvāṅga staff, kapāla vessel shining like crystal, a garland of heads, Śiva as five-faced, crescent moon on the crown—an awe-inspiring ascetic-theophany.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Śiva (pañcavaktra, ardha-candra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva discipline integrates mantra-japa with visible signs of renunciation and remembrance of impermanence, directing the mind toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is instructional within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it does not itself name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śaiva caryā markers: japa, wearing/using bhasma, carrying khaṭvāṅga and kapāla, and meditating on Śiva’s pañcavaktra form with the crescent moon.