Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

बहुशीर्षं महाघोरमेकपादं बहूदरम् । कमंडलुश्चास्य पश्चान्महर्षिगणसेवितः

Transliteration

bahuśīrṣaṃ mahāghoramekapādaṃ bahūdaram | kamaṃḍaluścāsya paścānmaharṣigaṇasevitaḥ

Translation

پھر ایک نہایت ہولناک ہستی آئی جس کے بہت سے سر تھے، ایک ہی پاؤں تھا اور بہت سے پیٹ تھے؛ اور اس کے پیچھے کمندلو (زاہد کا آبی برتن) آیا جس کی خدمت میں مہارشیوں کے جتھے تھے۔

Word by Word

• बहुशीर्षम्: many-headed
• बहुशीर्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• महाघोरम्: very terrible
• महाघोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• एकपादम्: one-footed
• एकपादम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (संख्यापूर्वपद); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• बहूदरम्: big-bellied/many-bellied
• बहूदरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc, Singular)

• कमण्डलुः: water-pot (kamaṇḍalu)
• कमण्डलुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him/its
• अस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Possessive/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular); सर्वनाम

• पश्चात्: afterwards/behind
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: afterwards/behind)

• महर्षिगणसेवितः: served by groups of great sages
• महर्षिगणसेवितः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महर्षि + गण + सेवित (सेव् धातु + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dreadful, many-headed, one-footed, many-bellied being strides forward; behind it, a sanctified kamaṇḍalu glows, surrounded by venerable sages in orderly attendance.

Characters & Entities

• Kamaṇḍalu
• Maharṣis
• A multi-formed terrifying being (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The procession unites terrifying power and ascetic sanctity—Śiva’s path includes both awe-inspiring might and the purity of tapas represented by the kamaṇḍalu and sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse highlights ascetic emblems within the divine retinue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the presence of kamaṇḍalu and sages implies tapas and purity but gives no explicit rite.