Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

उत्तमांगविनाशाय विरिंचेः सृष्टिकारिणे । स्मशानवासिने नित्यं नमो भैरवरूपिणे

Transliteration

uttamāṃgavināśāya viriṃceḥ sṛṣṭikāriṇe | smaśānavāsine nityaṃ namo bhairavarūpiṇe

Translation

恒常顶礼于具怖畏相的主——拜罗婆（Bhairava）：摧毁“至高之首”（傲慢之巅）者；为毗林支（Viriñci，梵天 Brahmā）之创造之因者；亦为常住火葬场之主。

Word by Word

• उत्तमाङ्गविनाशाय: to the destroyer of the head
• उत्तमाङ्गविनाशाय: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तमाङ्ग + विनाश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: उत्तमाङ्गस्य (शिरसः) विनाशः (i.e., ‘destroyer of the head’)

• विरिञ्चेः: of Viriñci (Brahmā)
• विरिञ्चेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरिञ्चि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सृष्टिकारिणे: to the creator of creation
• सृष्टिकारिणे: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि + कारिन् (कृ धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: सृष्टिं करोति इति

• श्मशानवासिने: to the dweller in the cremation-ground
• श्मशानवासिने: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान + वासिन् (वस् धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: श्मशाने वसति इति

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala/Avadhi (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, ‘नमो’ इत्यस्य पदच्छेदे ‘नमः’

• भैरवरूपिणे: to the one of Bhairava-form
• भैरवरूपिणे: Sampradana (Dative/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: भैरवरूपः यस्य

Speaker

Andhaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava stands in a cremation ground: garlanded, powerful, with a calm but terrifying gaze; behind him a subtle vision of Brahmā emerging from cosmic lotus/light, indicating Śiva as the cause; a symbolic ‘crown/head’ motif lies broken at Bhairava’s feet to show destruction of pride.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhairava
• Viriñci (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True divinity transcends social fear: Bhairava dwells even in the cremation ground, dissolving ego and revealing liberation beyond attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it supports the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya by praising the fierce, protective form (Bhairava) often associated with sacred precincts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a continuous salutation (nityaṃ namas) suitable for devotional recitation.