Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

कपालिनं मालिनमादिदेवं जटाधरं भीमभुजंगहारम् । प्रभासितारं च सहस्रमूर्तिं सहस्रशीर्षं पुरुषं विशिष्टम्

Transliteration

kapālinaṃ mālinamādidevaṃ jaṭādharaṃ bhīmabhujaṃgahāram | prabhāsitāraṃ ca sahasramūrtiṃ sahasraśīrṣaṃ puruṣaṃ viśiṣṭam

Translation

ഞാൻ കപാലധാരിയും മാലാധാരിയും ആയ ആദിദേവനെ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു; ജടാധാരി, ഭീകരഭുജംഗഹാരഭൂഷിതൻ; പ്രകാശകനായ—സഹസ്രമൂർത്തിയും സഹസ്രശിരസ്സും ഉള്ള—ആ വിശിഷ്ട പരമപുരുഷൻ।

Word by Word

• kapālinam: the skull-bearing one
• kapālinam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• mālinam: garlanded
• mālinam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ādidevam: the primeval god
• ādidevam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आदिः देवः)

• jaṭādharam: wearing matted locks
• jaṭādharam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (जटां धरति)

• bhīmabhujaṃgahāram: having a garland of fearsome serpents
• bhīmabhujaṃgahāram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhujaṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + hāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (भीमाः भुजंगाः यस्य हारः)

• prabhāsitāram: the illuminator
• prabhāsitāram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (तृच्)

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

• sahasramūrtim: of a thousand forms
• sahasramūrtim: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषः (सहस्रं मूर्तयः यस्य)

• sahasraśīrṣam: thousand-headed
• sahasraśīrṣam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषः (सहस्रं शीर्षाणि यस्य)

• puruṣam: the Person (Supreme Being)
• puruṣam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viśiṣṭam: distinguished, excellent
• viśiṣṭam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśiṣṭa (कृदन्त; √śiṣ (धातु) + vi- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त-विशेषणम्

Speaker

A devotee/narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (hymnic praise to Śiva; exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame ṛṣis / pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand theophany: Śiva as Kapālin with skull-bowl and garland, matted locks, serpent necklace; behind Him a subtle overlay of thousand-headed cosmic form; radiance (‘prabhāsitāra’) illuminates the coastal darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord transcends limited form, manifesting innumerably, yet remains the one primordial deity worthy of surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Śiva is praised through traditional epithets and cosmic attributes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it is devotional praise used in worship and remembrance.