Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

स्नापयन्ति विरूपाक्षमुमादेहार्धधारिणम् । कामाङ्गदहनं देवमघासुरनिषूदनम्

Transliteration

snāpayanti virūpākṣamumādehārdhadhāriṇam | kāmāṅgadahanaṃ devamaghāsuraniṣūdanam

Translation

அவர்கள் விரூபாக்ஷருக்கு அபிஷேக ஸ்நானம் செய்கின்றனர்—உமையின் உடலின் அரைப் பகுதியைத் தாங்கிய இறைவன்; காமனின் அங்கங்களை எரித்தவன்; அகாசுரனை அழித்தவன்।

Word by Word

• स्नापयन्ति: they bathe (him) / cause to be bathed
• स्नापयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘cause to bathe’)

• विरूपाक्षम्: Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूपाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उमा-देह-अर्ध-धारिणम्: bearing half of Umā’s body
• उमा-देह-अर्ध-धारिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (उमायाः देहस्य अर्धं धारयति इति)

• काम-अङ्ग-दहनम्: burner of Kāma’s body
• काम-अङ्ग-दहनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + दहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (कामस्य अङ्गं दहति इति)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अघासुर-निषूदनम्: slayer of Aghāsura
• अघासुर-निषूदनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघासुर (प्रातिपदिक) + निषूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (अघासुरस्य निषूदनः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (context continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virūpākṣa-Śiva at Revā-tīrtha (as described)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests pour streams of milk and sacred liquids over a liṅga or anthropomorphic Śiva icon; the deity is envisioned as Virūpākṣa and Ardhanārīśvara—half Umā—radiant, with the mythic fire of Kāma-dahana suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Kāma(deva)
• Aghāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Abhiṣeka is not mere ritual—it is devotion to the cosmic Lord who transcends desire (Kāma) and destroys great evils (Aghāsura).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha of Adhyāya 72, where Śiva is worshipped through bathing and offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-abhiṣeka (snāpana)—ritual bathing of the deity/liṅga at the tīrtha.