Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तथैव मम वीर्यात्तु मद्रूपाभरणः पुमान् । कपालखट्वांगधरो जातश्चर्मविगुण्ठितः

Transliteration

tathaiva mama vīryāttu madrūpābharaṇaḥ pumān | kapālakhaṭvāṃgadharo jātaścarmaviguṇṭhitaḥ

Translation

ฉันนั้นเอง จากเดชานุภาพของเรา ได้บังเกิดบุรุษผู้ประดับด้วยรูปและเครื่องอลังการดุจเรา—ถือกะโหลกและคทา “คัฏวางคะ” และห่มคลุมด้วยหนังสัตว์

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Adverbial modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वीर्यात्: from (my) power/virility
• वीर्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• मद्रूपाभरणः: having my form as an ornament (i.e., adorned with my form)
• मद्रूपाभरणः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्-रूप-आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मम रूपम् आभरणं यस्य)

• पुमान्: a man/person
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कपालखट्वाङ्गधरः: bearing a skull and a khaṭvāṅga staff
• कपालखट्वाङ्गधरः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपाल-खट्वाङ्ग-धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कपालं च खट्वाङ्गं च धरति)

• जातः: was born/appeared
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘born/appeared’

• चर्मविगुण्ठितः: covered with a hide/skin
• चर्मविगुण्ठितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर्म-विगुण्ठित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (PPP sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चर्मणा विगुण्ठितः = covered with skin/hide)

Speaker

Śiva (explicitly first-person; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man arises from Śiva’s potency, mirroring Śiva’s fierce ascetic regalia: skull, khaṭvāṅga-staff, and hide-wrapping—an iconographic birth of a kṣetra-guardian.

Characters & Entities

• Khaṭvāṅga
• Kapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s power manifests forms that embody both awe and protection, indicating that even terrifying imagery can serve dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Śaiva presence and its attendant powers are celebrated in the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes manifestation and iconographic attributes.