Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पायाच्छ्रुती मे श्रुतिगीतकीर्तिः कपोलमव्या त्सततं कपाली । वक्त्रं सदा रक्षतु पंचवक्त्रो जिह्वां सदा रक्षतु वेदजिह्वः

Transliteration

pāyācchrutī me śrutigītakīrtiḥ kapolamavyā tsatataṃ kapālī | vaktraṃ sadā rakṣatu paṃcavaktro jihvāṃ sadā rakṣatu vedajihvaḥ

Translation

मेरे कानों की रक्षा वेदों द्वारा गायी कीर्ति वाले प्रभु करें; मेरे कपोलों की सदा कपाली रक्षा करें; मेरे मुख की पंचवक्त्र सदा रक्षा करें; और मेरी जिह्वा की वेदजिह्व प्रभु सदा रक्षा करें।

Word by Word

• pāyāt: may (he) protect
• pāyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ् (benedictive/optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘पायात्’ = may he protect

• śrutī: (two) ears
• śrutī: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-द्विवचन (Accusative Dual)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive Singular; enclitic)

• śruti: Veda; scripture
• śruti: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• gīta: sung; chanted
• gīta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta (कृदन्त; √gai गीत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (sung)

• kīrtiḥ: whose fame is sung in the Vedas
• kīrtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śruti-gīta-kīrti) = ‘श्रुत्या गीताः कीर्तयः यस्य’/‘श्रुतिगीतकीर्तिः’ (whose fame is sung in the Vedas)

• kapolam: cheek
• kapolam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapola (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• avyāt: may (he) protect
• avyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• satatam: constantly
• satatam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• kapālī: the skull-bearer (Śiva)
• kapālī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘कपाल’ इत्यस्य मतुप्/इनि-प्रत्ययार्थक (one bearing a skull)

• vaktram: mouth/face
• vaktram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• rakṣatu: may (he) protect
• rakṣatu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• vaktro: five-mouthed (Śiva)
• vaktro: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (pañca-vaktra) = ‘पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य सः’

• jihvām: tongue
• jihvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• rakṣatu: may (he) protect
• rakṣatu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• veda: Veda
• veda: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• jihvaḥ: Veda-tongued (Śiva)
• jihvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (veda-jihva) = ‘वेदः जिह्वा यस्य’ (whose tongue is the Veda / who speaks Veda)

Speaker

Unknown (Śiva-kavaca voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional tableau: Śiva as Kapālī with skull-bowl, five-faced, serene; Vedic sages chanting (śruti-gīta-kīrti) around him; a devotee touching ears, cheeks, mouth, tongue area in nyāsa sequence; subtle sound-waves or script motifs emanating.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kapālī
• Pañcavaktra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sanctifying speech and hearing through devotion aligns the senses with Vedic truth and invokes divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is devotional and protective rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied regular recitation as a kavaca, especially for purity of hearing and speech.