Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

चतुःशृंगं चतुष्पादं द्विशीर्षसप्तहस्तकम् । त्रिधा बद्धं धर्ममयं त्वामेव वृषभं विदुः

Transliteration

catuḥśṛṃgaṃ catuṣpādaṃ dviśīrṣasaptahastakam | tridhā baddhaṃ dharmamayaṃ tvāmeva vṛṣabhaṃ viduḥ

Translation

人々は、ただ汝のみを牡牛と知る――四つの角、四つの足、二つの頭、七つの手を備え、三様に縛られ、法（ダルマ）そのものより成る者として。

Word by Word

• चतुःशृङ्गम्: four-horned
• चतुःशृङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• चतुष्पादम्: four-footed
• चतुष्पादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विशीर्षसप्तहस्तकम्: two-headed and seven-handed
• द्विशीर्षसप्तहस्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + शीर्ष + सप्त + हस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective copulative)

• त्रिधा: threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: ‘in three ways/threefold’)

• बद्धम्: bound
• बद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध (कृदन्त, √बन्ध् बन्धने)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्ममयम्: consisting of dharma
• धर्ममयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• वृषभम्: bull
• वृषभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विदुः: know
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (ज्ञाने)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas/Vipras praising Nīlarūpa Mahādeva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary symbol: a radiant cosmic bull embodying dharma—four horns, four legs, two heads, seven hands—bound in three ways; the deity is revealed as identical with this Vedic emblem, with sages in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlarūpa (Śiva)
• Vṛṣabha (Dharma/Bull symbolism)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is the very structure of Dharma; symbolic descriptions teach seekers to perceive the Divine as the foundation of moral and cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within this adhyāya’s tīrtha context, the deity of the place (Nīlarūpa) is praised as Dharma itself, elevating the site’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual instruction; it is a theological praise using allegorical imagery.