Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

स देवो विश्वरूपो वै कथं वाजिमुखोऽभवत् । हिरण्याक्षस्य हंता यो रूपं कृत्वा वराहजम्

Transliteration

sa devo viśvarūpo vai kathaṃ vājimukho'bhavat | hiraṇyākṣasya haṃtā yo rūpaṃ kṛtvā varāhajam

Translation

Wie kam jener Gott, wahrlich von universaler Gestalt, dazu, als Rossgesichtiger zu erscheinen? Er, der Hiraṇyākṣa erschlug, nahm zur Vollbringung jener heiligen Tat die Gestalt Varāhas, des göttlichen Ebers, an.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st case), एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्वरूपः: of universal form
• विश्वरूपः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• वाजिमुखः: horse-faced (one)
• वाजिमुखः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वाजेः मुखम् इति)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• हिरण्याक्षस्य: of Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्याक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (हिरण्ये अक्षिणी यस्य)

• हन्ता: slayer
• हन्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन् (धातु) + तृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तृन्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd case), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having assumed/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• वराहजम्: born as a boar / boar-like
• वराहजम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वराह + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वराहात् जातम्) विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic Lord of universal form is questioned about how He became horse-faced (Hayagrīva) while also being the slayer of Hiraṇyākṣa as Varāha—suggesting a montage of avatāra-forms around a central viśvarūpa.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (Īśvara)
• Hayagrīva
• Varāha
• Hiraṇyākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord assumes whatever form is needed to restore dharma and protect the world, showing divine adaptability for righteous purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Dharmāraṇya section’s broader sanctifying frame by praising divine acts that uphold sacred order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated directly; the verse is doctrinal, focusing on avatāra-kathā (incarnation narrative).