Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

वराक्षमालाभयटंकहस्तः सरोजकिंजल्कसमानवर्णः । त्रिलोचनश्चारुचतुर्मुखो मां पायादुदीच्यां दिशि वामदेवः

Transliteration

varākṣamālābhayaṭaṃkahastaḥ sarojakiṃjalkasamānavarṇaḥ | trilocanaścārucaturmukho māṃ pāyādudīcyāṃ diśi vāmadevaḥ

Translation

Semoga Vāmadeva di arah utara—indah berwajah empat, bermata tiga, bertangan anugerah, tasbih, tanpa takut, dan lonceng kecil, berwarna laksana serbuk sari teratai—melindungiku.

Word by Word

• वर-अक्ष-माला-अभय-टङ्क-हस्तः: whose hand bears boon, rosary, fearlessness, and a chisel/axe
• वर-अक्ष-माला-अभय-टङ्क-हस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + अभय (प्रातिपदिक) + टङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (वर-अक्ष-माला-अभय-टङ्काः हस्ते यस्य) — Nominative singular (one whose hand holds...)

• सरोज-किṃजल्क-समान-वर्णः: of color like lotus-filaments
• सरोज-किṃजल्क-समान-वर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरोज (प्रातिपदिक) + किṃजल्क (प्रातिपदिक) + समान (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सरोजकिṃजल्केन समानः वर्णः यस्य) — Nominative singular epithet

• त्रि-लोचनः: three-eyed
• त्रि-लोचनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular adjective

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

• चारु-चतुर्-मुखः: beautiful four-faced
• चारु-चतुर्-मुखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — Nominative singular adjective

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• पायात्: may (he) protect
• पायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — may he protect

• उदीच्याम्: in the north
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• वाम-देवः: Vāmadeva
• वाम-देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — Nominative singular (name/epithet)

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (pañcabrahma/directional kavaca)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmadeva in the North: charming four-faced, three-eyed; lotus-pollen complexion; hands holding boon, rosary, fearlessness, and a small bell; cool northern light and Himalayan suggestion (symbolic).

Characters & Entities

• Vāmadeva
• Śiva
• North (Udīcī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The devotee is safeguarded by Śiva’s graceful, auspicious form; divine beauty and power together confer protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a north-direction protection verse within the Śaiva kavaca.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dik-rakṣā through kavaca recitation: invoking Vāmadeva to guard the northern quarter.