Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अक्षसूत्रोद्यतकरो भस्मगुण्ठितविग्रहः । स्फुरत्त्रिशूलो विश्वेशो जटाकुण्डलभूषितः

Transliteration

akṣasūtrodyatakaro bhasmaguṇṭhitavigrahaḥ | sphurattriśūlo viśveśo jaṭākuṇḍalabhūṣitaḥ

Translation

చేతిలో ఎత్తిన అక్షమాల, దేహమంతా భస్మంతో అలంకరించబడినది; మెరుస్తున్న త్రిశూలధారి విశ్వేశ్వరుడు జటలు, కుండలాలతో భూషితుడై కనిపించెను.

Word by Word

• akṣa-sūtra-udyata-karaḥ: whose hand is raised holding a rosary
• akṣa-sūtra-udyata-karaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sūtra (प्रातिपदिक) + udyata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षसूत्रं उद्यतं यस्य करः)

• bhasma-guṇṭhita-vigrahaḥ: whose body is smeared/covered with ash
• bhasma-guṇṭhita-vigrahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇṭhita (कृदन्त) + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘भस्मना गुण्ठितः विग्रहः’)

• sphurat-triśūlaḥ: whose trident is flashing
• sphurat-triśūlaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphurat (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + triśūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘स्फुरत् त्रिशूलं यस्य’)

• viśva-īśaḥ: Lord of the universe
• viśva-īśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘विश्वस्य ईशः’)

• jaṭā-kuṇḍala-bhūṣitaḥ: adorned with matted hair and earrings
• jaṭā-kuṇḍala-bhūṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘जटाभिः/जटया कुṇḍलैः भूषितः’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśa-darśana (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (implied addressee of the episode)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśveśa stands revealed: rosary lifted, body ash-smeared, trident gleaming, jaṭā and kuṇḍalas framing a fierce-compassionate face.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Śiva)
• triśūla
• akṣasūtra
• bhasma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva signs—bhasma, rosary, and trident—mark inner renunciation and the Lord’s universal sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes the Lord’s form; the place-context continues from the Ekaśālā episode introduced just before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports japa (rosary) and bhasma-dhāraṇa (wearing sacred ash) as Śaiva devotional markers.