Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

शूली धनुष्मान्कवची किरीटी श्मशानभस्मोक्षितसर्वगात्रः । कपालमालाकुलकण्ठनालो महाहिसूत्रैरवबद्धमौलिः

Transliteration

śūlī dhanuṣmānkavacī kirīṭī śmaśānabhasmokṣitasarvagātraḥ | kapālamālākulakaṇṭhanālo mahāhisūtrairavabaddhamauliḥ

Translation

ทรงตรีศูล ทรงธนู ทรงเกราะ และทรงมงกุฎ—พระวรกายทั่วทั้งสิ้นชโลมด้วยเถ้าจากป่าช้า; พระศอคล้องพวงมาลัยกะโหลก และพระเศียรถูกผูกด้วยสายแห่งนาคใหญ่

Word by Word

• शूली: the trident-bearer
• शूली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित -इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धनुष्मान्: having a bow
• धनुष्मान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुष्मत् (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त

• कवची: armored
• कवची: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कवचिन् (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित -इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किरीटी: crowned
• किरीटी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किरीटिन् (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित -इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्मशान-भस्म-उक्षित-सर्व-गात्रः: whose whole body is sprinkled with cremation-ground ash
• श्मशान-भस्म-उक्षित-सर्व-गात्रः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक) + भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्षित (उक्ष् धातु, क्त) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य सर्वगात्रं श्मशानभस्मना उक्षितम्)

• कपाल-माला-आकुल-कण्ठ-नालः: whose neck is crowded with a garland of skulls
• कपाल-माला-आकुल-कण्ठ-नालः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य कण्ठनालः कपालमालया आकुलः)

• महा-अहि-सूत्रैः: with cords of great serpents
• महा-अहि-सूत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + अहि (प्रातिपदिक) + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अवबद्ध-मौलिः: whose crown/topknot is bound
• अवबद्ध-मौलिः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवबद्ध (बन्ध् धातु, क्त; उपसर्ग: अव) + मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as armed guardian: triśūla and bow, armored and crowned, body fully smeared with cremation ash; skull-garland around the neck; great serpents as cords binding the topknot—an awe-inspiring, death-transcending presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Hara)
• Śūla (trident)
• Cremation ground (Śmaśāna)
• Kapāla-mālā (skull garland)
• Serpents (Ahi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s cremation-ground symbols teach detachment from bodily pride and remembrance of impermanence while honoring the Lord beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is explicitly named here; the verse supports the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader Śaiva sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it is descriptive praise (dhyāna-oriented iconography).