Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

प्रदीप्तविद्युत्कनकावभासो विद्यावराभीतिकुठारपाणिः । चतुर्मुखस्तत्पुरुषस्त्रिनेत्रः प्राच्यां स्थितं रक्षतु मामजस्रम्

Transliteration

pradīptavidyutkanakāvabhāso vidyāvarābhītikuṭhārapāṇiḥ | caturmukhastatpuruṣastrinetraḥ prācyāṃ sthitaṃ rakṣatu māmajasram

Translation

ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന മിന്നലും സ്വർണ്ണവും പോലെ ദീപ്തനായ, വിദ്യാ-വര-അഭയ-കുഠാരം ധരിച്ച, ചതുര്മുഖ ത്രിനേത്ര തത്പുരുഷൻ കിഴക്കുദിശയിൽ നിലകൊണ്ട് എപ്പോഴും എന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• प्रदीप्त-विद्युत्-कनक-अवभासः: having the glow of blazing lightning and gold
• प्रदीप्त-विद्युत्-कनक-अवभासः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदीप्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कनक (प्रातिपदिक) + अवभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः — Nominative singular epithet (having the radiance of blazing lightning and gold)

• विद्या-वरा-अभीति-कुठार-पाणिः: whose hand bears knowledge, boon, fearlessness, and axe
• विद्या-वरा-अभीति-कुठार-पाणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभीति (प्रातिपदिक) + कुठार (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (विद्या-वर-अभीति-कुठाराः पाणौ यस्य) — Nominative singular (one whose hand holds...)

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

• तत्-पुरुषः: Tatpuruṣa (form/name)
• तत्-पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — Nominative singular (name: Tatpuruṣa)

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

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

• स्थितम्: standing/situated
• स्थितम्: Kriya (State/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (अत्र अव्ययवत्/विशेषणवत्) — ‘being situated/standing’

• रक्षतु: may (he) protect
• रक्षतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), 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

• अजस्रम्: unceasingly
• अजस्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अजस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (dik-bandhana/face-based kavaca)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tatpuruṣa stationed in the East, four-faced and three-eyed, blazing like lightning and molten gold, holding symbols of knowledge, boon, fearlessness, and an axe; dawn-light behind.

Characters & Entities

• Tatpuruṣa
• Śiva
• East (Prācī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva guards the devotee from every quarter; invoking His sacred face-forms establishes spiritual protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a directional (east) protective invocation within a kavaca.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dik-rakṣā (directional protection) by invoking Tatpuruṣa in the east as part of the Śaiva kavaca.