Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 149

Devanagari script

ततस्तं वह्निरभ्यागाद्ददर्श च सुतं गुहम् । षट्छीर्षं द्विगुणश्रोत्रं द्वादशाक्षिभुजक्रमम्

Transliteration

tatastaṃ vahnirabhyāgāddadarśa ca sutaṃ guham | ṣaṭchīrṣaṃ dviguṇaśrotraṃ dvādaśākṣibhujakramam

Translation

ಆಗ ಪಾವಕನು (ಅಗ್ನಿ) ಅವನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಬಂದು ತನ್ನ ಪುತ್ರ ಗುಹನನ್ನು ದರ್ಶನಮಾಡಿದನು—ಷಣ್ಮುಖ, ದ್ವಿಗುಣ ಕರ್ಣಗಳಿರುವವನು, ದ್ವಾದಶ ನೇತ್ರ-ಭುಜಗಳ ಸುಶೋಭಿತ ಕ್ರಮದಿಂದ ಯುಕ್ತನು।

Word by Word

• tatas: then, thereafter
• tatas: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थे अव्ययम् (then/thereafter)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• vahniḥ: Fire (Agni)
• vahniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• abhyāgāt: came near, approached
• abhyāgāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/भूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• sutam: son
• sutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• guham: Guha (Kumāra/Skanda)
• guham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ṣaṭ-chīrṣam: six-headed
• ṣaṭ-chīrṣam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या) + chīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/विशेष्य-समन्वय), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (six-headed)

• dvi-guṇa-śrotram: with double ears
• dvi-guṇa-śrotram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śrotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (having ears of double measure)

• dvādaśa-akṣi-bhuja-kramam: having a sequence of twelve eyes and arms
• dvādaśa-akṣi-bhuja-kramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (arrangement/series of twelve eyes and arms)

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni approaches and beholds Guha—resplendent, six-headed, with doubled ears and a symmetrical array of eyes and arms—standing as a newly manifested divine child, luminous like fire itself.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Guha (Skanda/Kumāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine child’s extraordinary form signifies superhuman guardianship and cosmic power, inspiring reverence and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the focus is on the epiphany of Guha’s form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; this is descriptive iconography within the narrative.