Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ऐशाने भगवान्रुद्रः श्वेतपुष्पैः सदाऽर्चितः । अपमृत्युविनाशाय सर्वदोषापनुत्तये

Transliteration

aiśāne bhagavānrudraḥ śvetapuṣpaiḥ sadā'rcitaḥ | apamṛtyuvināśāya sarvadoṣāpanuttaye

Translation

ഈശാന ദിക്കിൽ ഭഗവാൻ രുദ്രനെ ശ്വേതപുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ നിത്യവും ആരാധിക്കണം—അപമൃത്യു നാശത്തിനും സർവ്വദോഷനിവാരണത്തിനും।

Word by Word

• ऐशाने: in the north-east (Īśāna) corner
• ऐशाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (ईशान-कोणे/दिशि)

• भगवान्: the blessed/lordly
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रुद्रः)

• रुद्रः: Rudra (Shiva)
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्वेतपुष्पैः: with white flowers
• श्वेतपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत-पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करणत्वे

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• अर्चितः: is worshipped
• अर्चितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चित (कृदन्त; अर्च्+क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle: ‘worshipped’)

• अपमृत्युविनाशाय: for the destruction of untimely death
• अपमृत्युविनाशाय: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप-मृत्यु-विनाश (प्रातिपदिक; अपमृत्यु=untimely death, विनाश=destruction)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थे (for the sake of)

• सर्वदोषापनुत्तये: for the removal of all faults
• सर्वदोषापनुत्तये: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-दोष-अपनुत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; अपनुत्ति=removal)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small shrine or pañcāyatana altar oriented to the north-east, with Rudra/Śiva receiving white blossoms; a devotee offers flowers with folded hands, suggesting protection from untimely death.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Śiva
• Īśāna (direction)
• Apamṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva devotion, performed as prescribed, is upheld as a shield against untimely death and inauspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a directional worship injunction and does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Rudra in the northeast (Īśāna) with white flowers to avert apamṛtyu and remove doṣas.