Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अह्वरो ह्यापकुम्भश्च इडाचारस्तथैव यः । इंद्रमूर्तिश्च कोलाक्ष उपपाद ऋतुंसनः

Transliteration

ahvaro hyāpakumbhaśca iḍācārastathaiva yaḥ | iṃdramūrtiśca kolākṣa upapāda ṛtuṃsanaḥ

Translation

അഹ്വരൻ, ആപകുംഭൻ, ഇഡാചാരൻ; ഇന്ദ്രമൂർത്തി, കോലാക്ഷൻ, ഉപപാദൻ, ഋതുംസനൻ—ഇവരും ക്ഷേത്രപാലന്മാരിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നവർ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ahvaraḥ: Ahvara (name)
• ahvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahvara (अह्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/indeed)

• āpakumbhaḥ: Āpakumbha (name)
• āpakumbhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpa + kumbha (आप + कुम्भ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आपः/आप-सम्बद्धः कुम्भः)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• iḍācāraḥ: Iḍācāra (name)
• iḍācāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iḍā + ācāra (इडा + आचार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इडायाः आचारः/इडासम्बद्ध आचारः)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Connector/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (तथा)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (‘likewise’)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (only/indeed)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• iṃdramūrtiḥ: Indramūrti (name)
• iṃdramūrtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṃdra + mūrti (इन्द्र + मूर्ति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रस्य मूर्तिः)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• kolākṣaḥ: Kolākṣa (name)
• kolākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kola + akṣa (कोल + अक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कोलस्य अक्षः/कोलाक्षः)

• upapādaḥ: Upapāda (name)
• upapādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upapāda (उपपाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• ṛtuṃsanaḥ: Ṛtuṃsana (name)
• ṛtuṃsanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtuṃsana (ऋतुंसन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

Speaker

The hymn-reciter/devotee (as instructed by Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective circle of named guardians—Ahvara, Āpakumbha, Iḍācāra, Indramūrti, Kolākṣa, Upapāda, Ṛtuṃsana—standing at cardinal points around a shrine, as the devotee chants their names.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapālas
• Ahvara
• Āpakumbha
• Iḍācāra
• Indramūrti
• Kolākṣa
• Upapāda
• Ṛtuṃsana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering and naming protective deities is itself a form of worship, strengthening mindful reverence for sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse enumerates guardian names within a general Kṣetrapāla hymn.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra-style nāma-japa: recitation of Kṣetrapāla names as part of the worship.