Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

व्याघ्रचर्मपरीधानं घंटादर्पणभूषितम् । कर्कोटकमहापद्मधृतराष्ट्रधनंजयैः

Transliteration

vyāghracarmaparīdhānaṃ ghaṃṭādarpaṇabhūṣitam | karkoṭakamahāpadmadhṛtarāṣṭradhanaṃjayaiḥ

Translation

അവൻ വ്യാഘ്രചർമ്മം ധരിച്ചു, ഘണ്ടയും ദർപ്പണസദൃശമായ ആഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതനായി; കർക്കോടക, മഹാപദ്മ, ധൃതരാഷ്ട്ര, ധനഞ്ജയ എന്നീ നാഗന്മാർ അവനെ സേവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• vyāghra-carma-parīdhānam: wearing a tiger-skin garment
• vyāghra-carma-parīdhānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक) + carman (प्रातिपदिक) + parīdhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (व्याघ्रस्य चर्म परिधानम्)

• ghaṇṭā-darpaṇa-bhūṣitam: adorned with bells and mirrors
• ghaṇṭā-darpaṇa-bhūṣitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghaṇṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + darpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्त ‘adorned’; तत्पुरुषः (घण्टादर्पणैः भूषितम्)

• karkoṭaka-mahāpadma-dhṛtarāṣṭra-dhanaṃjayaiḥ: with (the nāgas) Karkoṭaka, Mahāpadma, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Dhanaṃjaya
• karkoṭaka-mahāpadma-dhṛtarāṣṭra-dhanaṃjayaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karkoṭaka (प्रातिपदिक) + mahāpadma (प्रातिपदिक) + dhṛtarāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक) + dhanaṃjaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (कर्कोटकादिभिः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva stands or sits with tiger-skin draped; ornaments include small bells and mirror-like discs catching light. Around him, four nāga-kings appear as semi-divine attendants—serpentine bodies with jeweled hoods, hands folded in reverence, forming a protective circle.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Karkoṭaka
• Mahāpadma
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (nāga)
• Dhanañjaya (nāga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the Lord of ascetic power (tiger-skin) and the ruler of hidden forces (nāgas), bringing them into sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None mentioned.