Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

नीलकंठा दशभुजाः पंचवक्त्रास्त्रिलोचनाः । कपर्द्दिनः कुंडलिनः शशंकांकितमौलयः

Transliteration

nīlakaṃṭhā daśabhujāḥ paṃcavaktrāstrilocanāḥ | kaparddinaḥ kuṃḍalinaḥ śaśaṃkāṃkitamaulayaḥ

Translation

അവര്‍ നീലകണ്ഠര്‍, ദശഭുജര്‍, പഞ്ചവക്ത്രര്‍, ത്രിലോചനര്‍; ജടാധാരികള്‍, കുണ്ഡലധാരികള്‍, മൗലിയില്‍ ചന്ദ്രചിഹ്നമുദ്രിതര്‍।

Word by Word

• नीलकण्ठाः: blue-throated
• नीलकण्ठाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (नीलः कण्ठः येषाम्) (nominative plural, masc.)

• दशभुजाः: ten-armed
• दशभुजाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (दश भुजाः येषाम्) (nominative plural, masc.)

• पञ्चवक्त्राः: five-faced
• पञ्चवक्त्राः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (nominative plural, masc.)

• त्रिलोचनाः: three-eyed
• त्रिलोचनाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (nominative plural, masc.)

• कपर्दिनः: wearing matted hair
• कपर्दिनः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषणम् (nominative plural, masc.)

• कुण्डलिनः: wearing earrings
• कुण्डलिनः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुण्डलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषणम् (nominative plural, masc.)

• शशाङ्काङ्कितमौलयः: whose crests are marked with the moon
• शशाङ्काङ्कितमौलयः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शशाङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शशाङ्केन अङ्कितः मौलिः येषाम्) (nominative plural, masc.)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up iconographic tableau: a line of Śiva’s radiant attendants, each bearing Śiva’s own attributes—blue throat, ten arms, five faces, three eyes, matted hair, earrings, crescent moon on the crown.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-dūtas
• Śiva (iconography: Nīlakaṇṭha, Trilocana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The attendants of Śiva mirror Śiva’s own sacred marks, emphasizing proximity to divinity through divine service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kedāra’s Shaiva milieu; the verse is primarily iconographic rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive (stuti-like) portrayal of Śiva’s messengers.