Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्यांगसंस्पर्शान्मुक्त्वा व्याघ्रतनुं च ताम् । दधार भस्मसंदिग्धां तनुं चन्द्रविभूषिताम्

Transliteration

tatastasyāṃgasaṃsparśānmuktvā vyāghratanuṃ ca tām | dadhāra bhasmasaṃdigdhāṃ tanuṃ candravibhūṣitām

Translation

Alors, par le contact de son corps, il abandonna cette forme de tigre et revêtit un corps enduit de cendre sacrée, orné du croissant de lune.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण ‘then’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अङ्गसंस्पर्शात्: from (his) bodily contact
• अङ्गसंस्पर्शात्: Apadana/Hetu (Source/cause/अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अङ्ग-संस्पर्श = contact with the body), पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मुक्त्वा: having given up
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having released/abandoned’

• व्याघ्रतनुम्: the tiger-form
• व्याघ्रतनुम्: Karma (Object of ‘giving up’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (व्याघ्र-तनु = tiger-body/form), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ताम्: that (one)
• ताम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दधार: assumed/bore
• दधार: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भस्मसंदिग्धाम्: smeared with ash
• भस्मसंदिग्धाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संदिग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भस्म-संदिग्ध = smeared with ash), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तनुम्: body/form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चन्द्रविभूषिताम्: adorned with the moon
• चन्द्रविभूषिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चन्द्र-विभूषित = adorned with the moon), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages within Nāgarakhaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the moment of contact, the tiger-form dissolves; Śiva stands revealed, body dusted with sacred ash, moon on his matted locks, serene gaze replacing ferocity; the king freezes in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by ash and moon iconography)
• vyāghra (tiger form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The terrifying trial is a veil; when devotion and dharma mature, the Lord reveals his true, auspicious Śaiva form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The manifestation functions as a tīrtha-māhātmya proof-sign within Adhyāya 95 of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, showing the place as fit for Śiva’s epiphany.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded, but Śiva’s bhasma (sacred ash) symbolism implicitly elevates Śaiva marks and purity observances.