Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

दधानं कमलं हस्ते सर्वविप्रविनाशनम् । रक्षणाय च लोकानां नगराद्दक्षिणाश्रितम्

Transliteration

dadhānaṃ kamalaṃ haste sarvavipravināśanam | rakṣaṇāya ca lokānāṃ nagarāddakṣiṇāśritam

Translation

ہاتھ میں کنول دھارن کیے ہوئے، برہمنوں کی ہلاکت کا سبب بننے والی ہر آفت کو مٹانے والا؛ اور جگت کی حفاظت کے لیے شہر کے جنوب میں ٹھہرا ہوا ہے۔

Word by Word

• दधानम्: holding/bearing
• दधानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धा (धातु) → दधान (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (Present active participle; Neuter Nom/Acc Singular)

• कमलम्: lotus
• कमलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• हस्ते: in the hand
• हस्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• सर्वविप्रविनाशनम्: destroyer of all brāhmaṇas
• सर्वविप्रविनाशनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + विप्र + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Neuter Nom/Acc Singular; ‘destroyer of all brāhmaṇas’)

• रक्षणाय: for protection
• रक्षणाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ दत्तिव (Dative singular; purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• नगरात्: from the city
• नगरात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• दक्षिणाश्रितम्: situated to the south
• दक्षिणाश्रितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा + आश्रित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) (Neuter Nom/Acc Singular; ‘situated on the south’)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective deity stands to the south of a sacred city, holding a lotus—symbol of purity and auspiciousness—radiating guardianship, as unseen threats to brāhmaṇas and dharma are dispelled.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guardianship protects society’s dharmic pillars (vipras) and thereby safeguards the world’s well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred location ‘south of the city’ within the Dharmāraṇya setting is implied, suggesting a protective shrine-zone in the region’s holy topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it indicates a protective placement (south of the city) that can guide circumambulation and pilgrimage mapping.