Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

पायान्निशादौ शशिशेखरो मां गंगाधरो रक्षतु मां निशीथे । गौरीपतिः पातु निशावसाने मृत्युंजयो रक्षतु सर्वकालम्

Transliteration

pāyānniśādau śaśiśekharo māṃ gaṃgādharo rakṣatu māṃ niśīthe | gaurīpatiḥ pātu niśāvasāne mṛtyuṃjayo rakṣatu sarvakālam

Translation

ขอให้พระศศิเศขระคุ้มครองข้าพเจ้าในยามต้นราตรี; ขอให้พระคังคาธรพิทักษ์ในยามเที่ยงคืน. ขอให้พระคุรีปติคุ้มครองเมื่อราตรีใกล้สิ้น; และขอให้พระมฤตยูญชัยคุ้มครองข้าพเจ้าทุกกาลเวลา.

Word by Word

• पायात्: may protect
• पायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निशादौ: at the beginning of night
• निशादौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निशायाः आदिः)

• शशिशेखरः: the moon-crested (Śiva)
• शशिशेखरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शशिः शेखरः यस्य)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• गंगाधरः: bearer of the Ganges
• गंगाधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गां धरति)

• रक्षतु: may protect
• रक्षतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• निशीथे: at midnight
• निशीथे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशीथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• गौरीपतिः: husband of Gaurī
• गौरीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गौर्याः पतिः)

• पातु: may protect
• पातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निशावसाने: at the end of night
• निशावसाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निशायाः अवसानम्)

• मृत्युंजयः: conqueror of death
• मृत्युंजयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मृत्युम् जयति)

• रक्षतु: may protect
• रक्षतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्वकालम्: at all times
• सर्वकालम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वः कालः)

Speaker

Unknown (Śiva-kavaca voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night sky sequence: crescent-mooned Śiva at dusk, Gaṅgā flowing from matted locks at midnight, Śiva with Pārvatī at pre-dawn, and radiant Mṛtyuṃjaya encircling the devotee with a protective aura.

Characters & Entities

• Śaśiśekhara
• Gaṅgādhara
• Gaurīpati
• Mṛtyuṃjaya
• Gaṅgā
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Invoking Mṛtyuṃjaya affirms Śiva as the transcender of fear and death, protecting the devotee through night and beyond.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though Gaṅgādhara evokes sacred Gaṅgā tīrthas, this verse does not explicitly praise a single location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied night-time remembrance/recitation, especially suited to seeking protection and freedom from fear.