Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कर्णावतंसान्सा दध्रे पाणिपादमयांस्तथा । रणे हतानां वीराणां शिरांस्युरसिचापरान्

Transliteration

karṇāvataṃsānsā dadhre pāṇipādamayāṃstathā | raṇe hatānāṃ vīrāṇāṃ śirāṃsyurasicāparān

Translation

അവൾ കാതുകളിൽ കൈകളും കാലുകളും കൊണ്ടുണ്ടാക്കിയ കർണാവതംസങ്ങൾ ധരിച്ചു. യുദ്ധത്തിൽ വീണ വീരന്മാരുടെ തലകളും അവൾ തന്റെ വക്ഷസ്ഥലത്തിൽ മറ്റു ചിഹ്നങ്ങളെന്നപോലെ വഹിച്ചിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कर्ण-अवतंसान्: ear-ornaments
• कर्ण-अवतंसान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + avataṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्णयोः अवतंसाः)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दध्रे: wore/held
• दध्रे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धृ) लिट्
• Form: आत्मनेपदी; लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पाणि-पाद-मयान्: made of hands and feet
• पाणि-पाद-मयान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (पाणिपादैः मयाः = made of hands and feet)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• हतानाम्: of the slain
• हतानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (हन्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘slain’ (वीराणाम् विशेषण)

• वीराणाम्: of heroes
• वीराणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• शिरांसि: heads
• शिरांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• उरसि: on the chest
• उरसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• अपरान्: other, additional
• अपरान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘अन्यान्’ अर्थे (qualifies an implied noun, e.g., ornaments/heads)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedārakṣetra (ugra-rakṣā aspect)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The fierce goddess with earrings made of hands and feet; across her chest, garlands/ornaments of severed heads of fallen warriors; battlefield haze behind, yet a divine aura frames her.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginī/Devī (implied)
• Fallen heroes (vīras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fierce form symbolizes the transcendence of worldly fear and the power that subdues violence and ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, as part of its mahatmya describing Śiva’s awe-inspiring divine retinue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive imagery.