Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भैरवं रूपमास्थाय प्रेतासनपरिग्रहः । त्रैलोक्यस्याभयं दत्त्वा चचार विपुलं तपः

Transliteration

bhairavaṃ rūpamāsthāya pretāsanaparigrahaḥ | trailokyasyābhayaṃ dattvā cacāra vipulaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

Dengan menyandang rupa Bhairava, bersemayam di atas preta-āsana, Dia mengurniakan ketakutan lenyap kepada tiga alam, lalu menunaikan tapa yang amat luas.

Word by Word

• भैरवम्: terrible, Bhairava
• भैरवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रूपम्)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः—आ

• प्रेतासनपरिग्रहः: one who has taken a corpse-seat
• प्रेतासनपरिग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतासन + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रेतासनस्य परिग्रहः = one who has taken a seat of a corpse)

• त्रैलोक्यस्य: of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रि + लोक)

• अभयम्: fearlessness, safety
• अभयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• चचार: practised/performed
• चचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant, great
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairava-tapas-sthala (within Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (राजेन्द्र)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava form of the Deva sits upon a preta-seat, radiating terrifying majesty; with one gesture He grants fearlessness to the three worlds, then enters deep austerity—stillness after storm-like power.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava (Śiva)
• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power protects the cosmos (abhaya) while also exemplifying tapas—spiritual discipline as a source of order and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse contributes to the Bhairava-centered māhātmya that culminates in a named Śiva-sthāna in this chapter’s narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the focus is on Bhairava’s form, protection, and austerity.