Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

दहनश्चेश्वरश्चैव कपाली नवमस्तथा । वृषाकपिस्तु दशमो रुद्रस्त्र्यंबक एव च

Transliteration

dahanaśceśvaraścaiva kapālī navamastathā | vṛṣākapistu daśamo rudrastryaṃbaka eva ca

Translation

ദഹനനും ഈശ്വരനും; ഒൻപതാമൻ കപാലി; പത്താമൻ വൃഷാകപി; കൂടാതെ രുദ്രനും ത്ര്യംബകനും.

Word by Word

• दहनः: Dahana (a Rudra-name; ‘burner’)
• दहनः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कपाली: Kapālī (skull-bearer)
• कपाली: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessor: ‘skull-bearer’)

• नवमः: the ninth
• नवमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• वृषाकपिः: Vṛṣākapi (a Rudra-name)
• वृषाकपिः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa + kapi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वृषः कपिः इव/वृषाकपि इति नाम)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• दशमः: the tenth
• दशमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्र्यंबकः: Tryambaka (three-eyed)
• त्र्यंबकः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tryambaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-vision: Śiva as Kapālī with skull-bowl, then as Tryambaka with three eyes, while Sūta continues the chant before attentive sages.

Characters & Entities

• Dahana
• Īśvara
• Kapālī
• Vṛṣākapi
• Rudra
• Tryambaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is presented through diverse epithets—ascetic (Kapālī), sovereign (Īśvara), fiery (Dahana), and three-eyed (Tryambaka)—inviting comprehensive reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a deity-name enumeration and does not specify a tīrtha in the excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the content supports nāma-smaraṇa (remembering/reciting divine names).