Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य ददौ तुष्टो भगवान्वृषभध्वजः । कुठारं निशितं हस्ते सदा वै श्रेष्ठमायुधम्

Transliteration

atha tasya dadau tuṣṭo bhagavānvṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | kuṭhāraṃ niśitaṃ haste sadā vai śreṣṭhamāyudham

Translation

അപ്പോൾ പ്രസന്നനായ ഭഗവാൻ വൃഷഭധ്വജൻ (ശിവൻ) അവന്റെ കൈയിൽ ധരിക്കുവാൻ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള കുഠാരം നൽകി—എപ്പോഴും ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ ആയുധം.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्ययम् (sequencing particle)

• tasya: to him
• tasya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ: (Śiva) whose banner is the bull
• vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vṛṣabhasya dhvajaḥ); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• kuṭhāram: an axe
• kuṭhāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• niśitam: sharp
• niśitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (agreeing with kuṭhāram as object-qualifier)

• haste: in (his) hand
• haste: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• śreṣṭham: best
• śreṣṭham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (agreeing with āyudham)

• āyudham: weapon
• āyudham: Karmapravacanīya/Karma (Object; apposition to kuṭhāram)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja) stands serene with Nandin’s emblem, extending a gleaming sharp axe into the devotee’s hands; devas witness; the tīrtha/temple backdrop glows with sacred light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)
• Kuṭhāra (axe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine gifts symbolize dharmic power: strength is granted to uphold sacred order and remove obstacles to righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the focus is on Śiva’s blessing within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it describes a bestowal (dāna) of an āyudha as part of consecration honors.