Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कुंदेन्दुशंखस्फटिकावभासो वेदाक्षमालावरदाभयांकः । त्र्यक्षश्चतुर्वक्त्र उरुप्रभावः सद्योधिजातोवतु मां प्रतीच्याम्

Transliteration

kuṃdenduśaṃkhasphaṭikāvabhāso vedākṣamālāvaradābhayāṃkaḥ | tryakṣaścaturvaktra uruprabhāvaḥ sadyodhijātovatu māṃ pratīcyām

Translation

കുന്ദം, ചന്ദ്രൻ, ശംഖം, സ്ഫടികം പോലെ ദീപ്തനായ, വേദവും അക്ഷമാലയും ധരിച്ച് വര-അഭയമുദ്രകളാൽ ചിഹ്നിതനായ, ത്രിനേത്ര ചതുര്വക്ത്ര മഹാപ്രഭാവി സദ്യോജാതൻ പടിഞ്ഞാറുദിശയിൽ എന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• कुन्द-इन्दु-शङ्ख-स्फटिक-अवभासः: having the radiance of jasmine, moon, conch, and crystal
• कुन्द-इन्दु-शङ्ख-स्फटिक-अवभासः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + स्फटिक (प्रातिपदिक) + अवभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः — Nominative singular epithet

• वेद-अक्ष-माला-वरद-अभय-अङ्कः: bearing the Veda, rosary, boon-giving and fearlessness (as emblems)
• वेद-अक्ष-माला-वरद-अभय-अङ्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + वरद (प्रातिपदिक) + अभय (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (वेद-अक्ष-माला-वरद-अभयम् अङ्के/अङ्गे यस्य) — Nominative singular (one marked/holding...)

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

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

• चतुर्-वक्त्रः: four-faced
• चतुर्-वक्त्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular adjective

• उरु-प्रभावः: of great might/splendour
• उरु-प्रभावः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उरु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — Nominative singular adjective

• सद्यः-धि-जातः: Sadyodhijāta
• सद्यः-धि-जातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय) + धि (प्रातिपदिक) + जात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सद्यः धिजातः) — Nominative singular (name/epithet: Sadyodhijāta)

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

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

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

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (pañcabrahma/directional kavaca)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sadyojāta in the West: four-faced, three-eyed, immense splendor, white like jasmine, moon, conch, crystal; holding Veda and rosary; hands marked by boon and fearlessness; sunset glow behind white radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Sadyojāta
• Śiva
• West (Pratīcī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s auspicious face-form grants boons and fearlessness, guarding the devotee from the western quarter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the emphasis is on kavaca-based directional protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invoking Sadyojāta for protection in the west as part of the Śaiva kavaca recitation.