Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

तन्मध्ये विश्वरूपं च वामाद्यष्टादिशक्तिकम् । पंचवक्त्रं दशभुजं त्रिनेत्रं चंद्रभूषितम्

Transliteration

tanmadhye viśvarūpaṃ ca vāmādyaṣṭādiśaktikam | paṃcavaktraṃ daśabhujaṃ trinetraṃ caṃdrabhūṣitam

Translation

അതിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യേ വിശ്വരൂപനായ പ്രഭുവിനെ ധ്യാനിക്കണം—വാമാ മുതലായ അഷ്ടദിക്‌ശക്തികളാൽ യുക്തൻ, പഞ്ചവക്ത്രൻ, ദശഭുജൻ, ത്രിനേത്രൻ, ചന്ദ്രഭൂഷിതൻ।

Word by Word

• तत्: in that
• तत्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण) एकवचन-सम्बन्धे (तस्मिन्) — समासपूर्वपदम्

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणार्थे

• विश्वरूपम्: of universal form
• विश्वरूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वामाद्यष्टादिशक्तिकम्: having the eight directional powers beginning with Vāmā
• वामाद्यष्टादिशक्तिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम + आदि + अष्ट + दिश् + शक्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (‘वामाद्याः अष्ट दिशः, तासां शक्तयः यस्य’)

• पञ्चवक्त्रम्: five-faced
• पञ्चवक्त्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः; विशेषणम्

• दशभुजम्: ten-armed
• दशभुजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः; विशेषणम्

• त्रिनेत्रम्: three-eyed
• त्रिनेत्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः; विशेषणम्

• चन्द्रभूषितम्: adorned with the moon
• चन्द्रभूषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र + भूषित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘√भूष्’ (भूषणे) से; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘चन्द्रेण भूषितम्’ इति तत्पुरुषसमासः; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) implied by the continuing address in the sequence

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the heart of the nested maṇḍalas appears Śiva in viśvarūpa: five radiant faces oriented to quarters and zenith, ten arms holding emblems, three eyes blazing, crescent moon in matted hair; eight directional śaktis form a protective ring.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Viśvarūpa)
• Aṣṭa-diś-śakti (beginning with Vāmā)
• Candra (moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is to be realized as the all-pervading cosmic Lord, whose powers sustain every direction and domain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse is a dhyāna-description for worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditate upon Śiva’s form with defined attributes (five faces, ten arms, three eyes, moon-ornament) within the maṇḍala.