Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

गजाजिनो द्विजिह्वाद्यलंकृतांगो जटाधरः । विरूपाक्षः कथंकारं निर्गुणः स्यात्तवोचितः

Transliteration

gajājino dvijihvādyalaṃkṛtāṃgo jaṭādharaḥ | virūpākṣaḥ kathaṃkāraṃ nirguṇaḥ syāttavocitaḥ

Translation

हाथी की खाल धारण करने वाला, सर्पों आदि से अलंकृत अंगों वाला, जटाधारी, विचित्र नेत्रों वाला—ऐसा ‘निर्गुण’ वह तुम्हारे योग्य कैसे हो सकता है?

Word by Word

• गजाजिनः: wearing elephant-hide
• गजाजिनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + अजिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गजस्य अजिनम् यस्य)

• द्विजिह्वादि-अलंकृत-अङ्गः: whose limbs are adorned with (serpents etc., beginning with) the two-tongued (snake)
• द्विजिह्वादि-अलंकृत-अङ्गः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अलंकृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग अलम्) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजिह्वादिभिः अलंकृतानि अङ्गानि यस्य)

• जटाधरः: matted-hair bearer
• जटाधरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (जटां धरति/जटा यस्य)

• विरूपाक्षः: odd/uneven-eyed
• विरूपाक्षः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विरूपम् अक्षि यस्य/विरूपाक्षः)

• कथंकारम्: doubt/‘how can it be?’
• कथंकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय) + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (कथम्-कारः = ‘how’-making, doubt)

• निर्गुणः: devoid of qualities
• निर्गुणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: might be/would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तव: of you/for you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• उचितः: suitable/appropriate
• उचितः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित (कृदन्त; √उच्/√वच्? (धातु) + क्त; रूढ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

Speaker

Brahmacārin/Vratī (ascetic) describing Śiva to Pārvatī (discouraging tone)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva depicted with elephant-hide garment, serpents as ornaments, matted locks, unusual eyes; a critic questions how such a nirguṇa being could befit Pārvatī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Nāga/serpents (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity transcends conventional beauty and social markers; Śiva’s ‘nirguṇa’ nature is beyond worldly evaluation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on Śiva’s ascetic iconography and transcendence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive and rhetorical, not a procedural instruction.