Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पिशाचभूतसंघैश्च वृतः परमशोभनः । स्वर्णवेत्रधरो नन्दी बभौ कपिमुखोऽग्रतः

Transliteration

piśācabhūtasaṃghaiśca vṛtaḥ paramaśobhanaḥ | svarṇavetradharo nandī babhau kapimukho'grataḥ

Translation

Dikelilingi rombongan piśāca dan bhūta, Nandin yang amat cemerlang tampak—menggenggam tongkat emas—berdiri di depan, berwajah laksana kera.

Word by Word

• पिशाचभूतसंघैः: by groups of piśācas and bhūtas
• पिशाचभूतसंघैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + संघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पिशाचानां भूतानां संघाः)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• परमशोभनः: supremely splendid
• परमशोभनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (परमः शोभनः)

• स्वर्णवेत्रधरः: the bearer of a golden staff
• स्वर्णवेत्रधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त, √धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (स्वर्ण-वेत्रं धरति)

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• बभौ: shone, appeared
• बभौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कपिमुखः: monkey-faced
• कपिमुखः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कपेरिव मुखं यस्य)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adverbial (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-काल-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

Speaker

Deductive: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa narrating to sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandin, splendid and commanding, stands at the forefront holding a golden staff; behind him surge troops of piśācas and bhūtas—now disciplined as Śiva’s attendants. Nandin’s face is described as monkey-like, giving a striking, liminal iconographic twist.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Piśācas
• Bhūtas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s domain includes fierce and liminal beings, yet it is ordered and auspicious under dharmic guardianship—Nandin stands as a radiant protector at the forefront.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate tīrtha is not named in this verse; it contributes to the scene-setting of a sacred locale in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription appears in this shloka.