Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गंगाधर विरूपाक्ष नीललोहित शंकर । रामनाथ नमस्तुभ्यं रक्ष मा करुणाकर

Transliteration

gaṃgādhara virūpākṣa nīlalohita śaṃkara | rāmanātha namastubhyaṃ rakṣa mā karuṇākara

Translation

गङ्गाधर विरूपाक्ष नीललोहित शंकर। रामनाथ नमस्तुभ्यं रक्ष मां करुणाकर॥

Word by Word

• गंगाधर: O bearer of Gaṅgā
• गंगाधर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गंगायाः धरः)

• विरूपाक्ष: O odd-eyed (Virūpākṣa)
• विरूपाक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य)

• नीललोहित: O blue-and-red one
• नीललोहित: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + लोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (नीलश्च लोहितश्च)

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• रामनाथ: O lord of Rāma
• रामनाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रामस्य नाथः)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Discourse (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), नमस्कारार्थक

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: me
• मा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (enclitic form of माम्)

• करुणाकर: O mine of compassion
• करुणाकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: करुणायाः आकरः)

Speaker

Sītā (contextual continuity from the preceding verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara) at Setu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Rāmanātha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the Rāmanātha liṅga, a devotee calls out epithets; Śiva appears as Gaṅgādhara with one eye slightly ‘virūpa’ (symbolic), body tinged with blue-red (nīla-lohita), extending abhaya-mudrā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṅgā
• Rāmanātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Calling Śiva by His sacred names with humility becomes a refuge; divine compassion is sought as protection in all vulnerability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram (Setu-kṣetra), through the invocation of Śiva as Rāmanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite; the verse itself serves as a protective prayer (rakṣā-prārthanā) for recitation in Śiva-pūjā.