Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

कंठं गिरीशोऽवतु नीलकंठः पाणिद्वयं पातु पिनाकपाणिः । दोर्मूलमव्यान्मम धर्मबाहुर्वक्षःस्थलं दक्षमखांतकोऽव्यात्

Transliteration

kaṃṭhaṃ girīśo'vatu nīlakaṃṭhaḥ pāṇidvayaṃ pātu pinākapāṇiḥ | dormūlamavyānmama dharmabāhurvakṣaḥsthalaṃ dakṣamakhāṃtako'vyāt

Translation

Да защитит мою шею Гиришa, Синегорлый; да хранит обе мои руки Пинакапани; да оберегает основания моих рук Дхармабаху; и да защитит мою грудь разрушитель жертвоприношения Дакши.

Word by Word

• kaṃṭham: throat
• kaṃṭham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṃṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन

• girīśaḥ: Lord of the mountain
• girīśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (giri-īśa) = ‘गिरेः ईशः’

• avatu: may (he) protect
• avatu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nīla: blue
• nīla: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• kaṃṭhaḥ: blue-throated (Śiva)
• kaṃṭhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṃṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (nīla-kaṃṭha) = ‘नीलः कण्ठः यस्य’

• pāṇi: hand
• pāṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• dvayam: two hands
• dvayam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (pāṇi-dvaya) = ‘द्वौ पाणी’ (pair of hands)

• pātu: may (he) protect
• pātu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pināka: Pināka (Śiva’s bow)
• pināka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pināka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• pāṇiḥ: Pināka-in-hand (Śiva)
• pāṇiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pināka-pāṇi) = ‘पिनाकः पाणौ यस्य’

• doḥ: arm
• doḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doḥ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग (stem for ‘arm’)

• mūlam: shoulder; root of the arm
• mūlam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (doḥ-mūla) = ‘दोःमूलम्’ (root of the arm/shoulder)

• avyāt: may (he) protect
• avyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन

• dharma: dharma; righteousness
• dharma: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• bāhuḥ: Dharma-armed (Śiva)
• bāhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (dharma-bāhu) = ‘धर्मः बāहुः यस्य’ (whose arm is dharma / arm of righteousness)

• vakṣaḥ: chest
• vakṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग (chest)

• sthalam: chest-region
• sthalam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vakṣaḥ-sthala) = ‘वक्षसः स्थलम्’

• dakṣa: Dakṣa
• dakṣa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग (proper name: Dakṣa)

• makha: sacrifice
• makha: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग — समासाङ्ग

• antakaḥ: destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice (Śiva)
• antakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dakṣa-makha-antaka) = ‘दक्षस्य मखस्य अन्तकः’ (destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice)

• avyāt: may (he) protect
• avyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √av (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unknown (Śiva-kavaca voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣa-yajña-smṛti (mythic tīrtha memory)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Nīlakaṇṭha with blue throat, holding Pināka; aura of contained poison at neck; a protective stance with hands extended in blessing; faint background vignette of Dakṣa’s yajña hall disrupted—fire, broken pride—while Śiva remains centered and calm.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Girīśa
• Nīlakaṇṭha
• Pināka
• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering Śiva’s deeds—bearing poison and restoring cosmic order—invokes protection and steadiness in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse draws on pan-Purāṇic mythic memory (e.g., Dakṣa-yajña).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it is a limb-protection (aṅga-rakṣā) prayer suitable for daily pāṭha.