Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पिशाचभूतसंघैश्च वृतः परमशोभनः । स्वर्णवेत्रधरो नन्दी बभौ कपिमुखोऽग्रतः

Transliteration

piśācabhūtasaṃghaiśca vṛtaḥ paramaśobhanaḥ | svarṇavetradharo nandī babhau kapimukho'grataḥ

Translation

Dikelilingi oleh bala piśāca dan bhūta, Nandin yang amat cemerlang pun menampakkan diri, memegang tongkat emas, berdiri di hadapan dengan wajah seakan kera.

Word by Word

• पिशाचभूतसंघैः: by groups of piśācas and bhūtas
• पिशाचभूतसंघैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + संघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पिशाचानां भूतानां संघाः)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• परमशोभनः: supremely splendid
• परमशोभनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (परमः शोभनः)

• स्वर्णवेत्रधरः: the bearer of a golden staff
• स्वर्णवेत्रधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त, √धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (स्वर्ण-वेत्रं धरति)

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• बभौ: shone, appeared
• बभौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कपिमुखः: monkey-faced
• कपिमुखः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कपेरिव मुखं यस्य)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adverbial (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-काल-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

Speaker

Deductive: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa narrating to sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandin, splendid and commanding, stands at the forefront holding a golden staff; behind him surge troops of piśācas and bhūtas—now disciplined as Śiva’s attendants. Nandin’s face is described as monkey-like, giving a striking, liminal iconographic twist.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Piśācas
• Bhūtas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s domain includes fierce and liminal beings, yet it is ordered and auspicious under dharmic guardianship—Nandin stands as a radiant protector at the forefront.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate tīrtha is not named in this verse; it contributes to the scene-setting of a sacred locale in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription appears in this shloka.