Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भैरवे भैरवाकारममरं पूर्वसागरे । सप्तगोदावरे भीमं स्वयंभूर्निर्मलेश्वरे

Transliteration

bhairave bhairavākāramamaraṃ pūrvasāgare | saptagodāvare bhīmaṃ svayaṃbhūrnirmaleśvare

Translation

بھیرَو میں وہ بھیرَو ہی کی صورت میں جلوہ گر ہے؛ مشرقی سمندر میں وہ ‘اَمَر’ (لازوال) کے نام سے پوجا جاتا ہے۔ سَپت گوداوری میں وہ بھیَم (ہیبت ناک قوت والا) ہے، اور نِرملیشور میں وہ سویمبھو—خود ظاہر ہونے والا شِو ہے۔

Word by Word

• भैरवे: at Bhairava (tīrtha/place)
• भैरवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भैरवाकारम्: having the form of Bhairava
• भैरवाकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भैरवस्य आकारः)

• अमरम्: immortal
• अमरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वसागरे: in the eastern ocean
• पूर्वसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (पूर्वः सागरः)

• सप्तगोदावरे: at Saptagodāvara (place)
• सप्तगोदावरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + गोदावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सप्त गोदावराः/गोदावरी-सम्बन्धः)

• भीमम्: Bhīma (name of Śiva/linga)
• भीमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्भूः: Svayambhū (self-manifest)
• स्वयम्भूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• निर्मलेश्वरे: at Nirmaleśvara (place/linga)
• निर्मलेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्मल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (निर्मलः ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairava; Pūrvāsāgara; Saptagodāvara; Nirmaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devi (addressed as ‘devī’ in the surrounding passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrimage-map tableau: four vignettes around a central Śiva-liṅga—Bhairava-form with trident and skull-garland; a serene ‘Amara’ liṅga by the eastern sea; a fierce Bhīma liṅga near branching Godāvarī mouths; a naturally arisen (svayaṃbhū) liṅga at a pristine Nirmaleśvara grove.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhairava
• Pūrvasāgara (Eastern Ocean)
• Saptagodāvara
• Nirmaleśvara
• Bhīma
• Svayaṃbhū
• Amara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is both awe-inspiring (Bhairava, Bhīma) and transcendent (Amara), and he can be directly encountered as self-manifest (Svayaṃbhū) in holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhairava-kṣetra, the Pūrvasāgara (Eastern Ocean region), Saptagodāvara, and Nirmaleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes darśana and nāma-recitation associated with each tīrtha.