Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

भैरवं रूपमास्थाय गौर्या चार्द्धाङ्गसंस्थितः । भूतवेतालकङ्कालैर्भैरवैर्भैरवो वृतः

Transliteration

bhairavaṃ rūpamāsthāya gauryā cārddhāṅgasaṃsthitaḥ | bhūtavetālakaṅkālairbhairavairbhairavo vṛtaḥ

Translation

ഭൈരവരൂപം ധരിച്ചു, തന്റെ അർദ്ധാംഗത്തിൽ ഗൗരി അധിഷ്ഠിതയായിരിക്കെ, ഭൈരവൻ ഭൂത-വേതാള-കങ്കാലധാരികളായ ഭൈരവഗണങ്ങളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• भैरवम्: Bhairava (terrifying/divine)
• भैरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रूपम् इति)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया; ‘having assumed/taken’

• गौर्याः: of Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौर्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्द्धाङ्गसंस्थितः: situated on (her) half-body
• अर्द्धाङ्गसंस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arddha-aṅga-saṃsthita (प्रातिपदिक; अर्द्ध + अङ्ग + संस्थित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भैरवः इति); समासः षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः—‘अर्द्धाङ्गे संस्थितः’

• भूतवेतालकङ्कालैः: by/with ghosts, vetālas, and skeletons
• भूतवेतालकङ्कालैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta-vetāla-kaṅkāla (प्रातिपदिक; भूत + वेताल + कङ्काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (भूताः च वेतालाः च कङ्कालाः च)

• भैरवैः: by/with Bhairavas (attendants)
• भैरवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भैरवः: Bhairava
• भैरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः—‘surrounded’

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (Pāṇḍunandana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava-Śiva stands/dwells in a fierce form, Gaurī as half of his body (ardhanārī-bhairava), encircled by bhūtas, vetālas, and skeletal attendants—night-lit riverbank ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Bhūtas
• Vetālas
• Kaṅkālas
• Bhairavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s fierce Bhairava aspect protects sacred space and upholds dharma, while His unity with Gaurī signals completeness of divine power (śakti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The description belongs to the Ānandeśvara māhātmya sequence, reinforcing the site’s Śaiva-Bhairava sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse provides iconographic and theological context for Bhairava worship at the site.