Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 103
अघोरवक्त्रं त्रितयं प्रपद्ये अथर्वजुष्टं तव रूपकाणि । अघोरघोराणि च घोरघोराण्यहं सदानौमि भूतानि तुभ्यम्
aghoravaktraṃ tritayaṃ prapadye atharvajuṣṭaṃ tava rūpakāṇi | aghoraghorāṇi ca ghoraghorāṇyahaṃ sadānaumi bhūtāni tubhyam
உமது மூன்றாம் முகமான ‘அகோர’த்தை நான் சரணடைகிறேன்; அதர்வ மரபில் போற்றப்படும் உமது இவ்வுருவங்கள். அவை மென்மையானவையாக இருந்தாலும் அச்சமூட்டுவதாக இருந்தாலும், உமக்குரிய எல்லா பூத-உயிர்களுக்கும் நான் எப்போதும் வணங்குகிறேன்.
A dvija devotee (as implied by the immediate narrative context)
Scene: Śiva’s Aghora face appears luminous yet formidable; around him are bhūta-gaṇas—yakṣas, piśācas, pramathas—rendered not as mere horrors but as disciplined attendants; the devotee bows without fear.
FAQs
Śiva encompasses both the benign and the fearsome; reverence to Him includes honoring the cosmic hosts (bhūtas) under His command.
No explicit tirtha is named; the focus is on Śiva’s Aghora aspect and His attendants.
Perpetual reverence (sadā naumi) and refuge-taking (prapadye) are emphasized, reflecting devotional discipline.