Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अविज्ञातान्वयो नग्नः शूली भूतगणाधिपः । श्मशाननिलयो भस्मोद्धूलनो वृषवाहनः

Transliteration

avijñātānvayo nagnaḥ śūlī bhūtagaṇādhipaḥ | śmaśānanilayo bhasmoddhūlano vṛṣavāhanaḥ

Translation

അവന്റെ വംശം അജ്ഞാതം; ദിഗംബരൻ; ത്രിശൂലധാരി, ഭൂതഗണാധിപൻ; ശ്മശാനവാസി, ഭസ്മലിപ്തൻ, വൃഷഭവാഹനൻ।

Word by Word

• अविज्ञातान्वयः: of unknown lineage
• अविज्ञातान्वयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविज्ञात (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त, नञ्-पूर्वक) + अन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अविज्ञातः अन्वयः यस्य)

• नग्नः: naked
• नग्नः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शूली: trident-bearer
• शूली: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्/इन्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessor)

• भूतगणाधिपः: lord of the hosts of spirits
• भूतगणाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतगणानाम् अधिपः)

• श्मशाननिलयः: dwelling in the cremation-ground
• श्मशाननिलयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक) + निलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (श्मशाने निलयः/निलयो यस्य)

• भस्मोद्धूलनः: smeared/dusted with ash
• भस्मोद्धूलनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धूलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (भस्मना उद्धूलनः/भस्म-उद्धूलनः)

• वृषवाहनः: having a bull as his mount
• वृषवाहनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य वाहनः/वाहनं यस्य)

Speaker

Brahmacārin/Vratī (ascetic) describing Śiva to Pārvatī (discouraging tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna (archetypal Rudra-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A litany of Śiva’s ‘unconventional’ attributes: naked ascetic with trident, surrounded by bhūta-gaṇas, ash-smeared, dwelling in cremation ground, riding Nandin.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Bhūtas
• Vṛṣa (bull)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may appear socially transgressive; Śiva’s ascetic marks challenge worldly notions of status and propriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; cremation-ground imagery evokes Śaiva sacred symbolism rather than a single site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None as a rule; ash-smeared appearance is descriptive of Śaiva ascetic symbolism.