Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अजेयत्वं च संग्रामे द्वैगुण्यं शिरसामपि । पंचवक्त्रो महा देवो दशवक्त्रोऽथ रावणः

Transliteration

ajeyatvaṃ ca saṃgrāme dvaiguṇyaṃ śirasāmapi | paṃcavaktro mahā devo daśavaktro'tha rāvaṇaḥ

Translation

അവൻ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ അജേയത്വവും, ശിരസ്സുകളുടെ ദ്വിഗുണത്വവും കൂടി നേടി. മഹാദേവൻ പഞ്ചവക്ത്രൻ; അപ്പോൾ രാവണൻ ദശവക്ത്രനായി.

Word by Word

• अजेयत्वम्: invincibility
• अजेयत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजेयत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय; conjunction

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative (7th), Singular

• द्वैगुण्यम्: doubling, twofoldness
• द्वैगुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैगुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• शिरसाम्: of heads
• शिरसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive (6th), Plural

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; particle (also/even)

• पञ्चवक्त्रः: five-faced
• पञ्चवक्त्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च + वक्त्र); Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (the great god)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् देवः); Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दशवक्त्रः: ten-faced
• दशवक्त्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय; discourse particle (then/now)

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by section-context deduction

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Brāhmaṇas (assembly implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic metamorphosis: Śiva, five-faced archetype of cosmic functions, grants Rāvaṇa invincibility and the doubling of heads—Rāvaṇa’s visage multiplies into Daśānana.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Rāvaṇa
• Pañcavaktra
• Daśavaktra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine boons can magnify worldly power, but the narrative context warns that such gifts should be aligned with dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śaiva domain, where Śiva’s bestowal of boons is narrated to proclaim His sovereignty and the place’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse records the boons (invincibility and extraordinary form) as outcomes of prior worship/tapas.