Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

खट्वांगी पंचवक्त्रश्च दशबाहुस्त्रिलोचनः । गंगाधरो वृषारूढो भूतप्रेतादिवेष्टितः

Transliteration

khaṭvāṃgī paṃcavaktraśca daśabāhustrilocanaḥ | gaṃgādharo vṛṣārūḍho bhūtapretādiveṣṭitaḥ

Translation

അവൻ ഖട്വാംഗധാരി, പഞ്ചവക്ത്രൻ, ദശഭുജൻ, ത്രിലോചനൻ; ഗംഗാധരൻ, വൃഷാരൂഢൻ, ഭൂതപ്രേതാദി ഗണങ്ങളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ടവൻ।

Word by Word

• खट्वा-अङ्गी: bearing a khaṭvāṅga staff
• खट्वा-अङ्गी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खट्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: खट्वाङ्गो यस्य सः (bearing a khaṭvāṅga staff)

• पञ्च-वक्त्रः: five-faced
• पञ्च-वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य सः (five-faced)

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

• दश-बाहुः: ten-armed
• दश-बाहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दश बाहवो यस्य सः (ten-armed)

• त्रि-लोचनः: three-eyed
• त्रि-लोचनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य सः (three-eyed)

• गङ्गा-धरः: bearer of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा-धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गङ्गां धरतीति (bearer of Gaṅgā)

• वृष-आरूढः: mounted on the bull
• वृष-आरूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वृषे आरूढः (mounted on the bull)

• भूत-प्रेत-आदि-वेष्टितः: surrounded by bhūtas, pretas, etc.
• भूत-प्रेत-आदि-वेष्टितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + वेष्टित (वेष्ट् धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) वेष्टित; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: भूतैः प्रेतैः आदिभिः वेष्टितः (surrounded by beings, ghosts, etc.)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhūtanātha/Śiva-darśana-sthāna in Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (royal listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva in a grand, fearsome-yet-auspicious manifestation: five faces, ten arms holding varied weapons/attributes (unspecified), three eyes blazing; Gaṅgā flowing from matted hair; seated on Nandi; surrounded by bhūtas and pretas in attendance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṅgā
• Bhūta
• Preta
• Vṛṣabha (Bull)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s all-encompassing sovereignty is praised—He is both ascetic and cosmic Lord, attended by all orders of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This description belongs to the Indrasara/Indreśvara tīrtha narrative within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription is stated; the verse provides a dhyāna-like depiction supporting devotion and tīrtha-māhātmya.