Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कपालखटवांगकरं नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम् । गणैः परिवृतं तत्र सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्

Transliteration

kapālakhaṭavāṃgakaraṃ nāgayajñopavītinam | gaṇaiḥ parivṛtaṃ tatra surāsuranamaskṛtam

Translation

ਉਹ ਕਪਾਲ ਅਤੇ ਖਟਵਾਂਗ ਦੰਡ ਧਾਰਣ ਕਰਦਾ, ਨਾਗ ਨੂੰ ਯਜ੍ਞੋਪਵੀਤ ਵਜੋਂ ਪਹਿਨਦਾ ਸੀ। ਉੱਥੇ ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਗਣਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਦੇਵ ਤੇ ਅਸੁਰ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਹੀ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ ਕਰਦੇ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

• कपालखटवाङ्गकरम्: one whose hand bears a skull and khaṭvāṅga
• कपालखटवाङ्गकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल-खट्वाङ्ग-कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (बहुपद-समास) ‘whose hand holds skull and khaṭvāṅga’

• नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम्: one wearing a serpent as sacred thread
• नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-यज्ञोपवीतिन् (प्रातिपदिक; नाग + यज्ञोपवीतिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गणैः: by the gaṇas (attendants)
• गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परिवृतम्: surrounded
• परिवृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘surrounded’; उपसर्ग: परि-

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्: saluted by gods and demons
• सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर-असुर-नमस्कृत (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + असुर + नमस्कृत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘saluted by’; विशेषण (देवदेवम्—अनुवृत्त)

Speaker

Vyāsa (narration/description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha/Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva holding kapāla and khaṭvāṅga, serpent as yajñopavīta across the torso, surrounded by diverse gaṇas; devas and asuras in orderly rows offer namaskāra, highlighting Śiva’s impartial lordship.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇas
• Devas
• Asuras
• Khaṭvāṅga
• Kapāla
• Nāga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva transcends all dualities: even devas and asuras bow to Him, indicating His supreme, all-encompassing lordship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is set in the Kailāsa context within the Dharmāraṇya narrative; no separate tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse models namaskāra (reverential salutation) to Śiva.