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Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

कन्याश्चोद्वाहिता येन सहस्राणि च षड् दश । अमानुषाणि कृत्वेत्थं कथं सोऽश्वमुखोऽभवत्

kanyāścodvāhitā yena sahasrāṇi ca ṣaḍ daśa | amānuṣāṇi kṛtvetthaṃ kathaṃ so'śvamukho'bhavat

Von ihm wurden Jungfrauen—sechzehntausend an der Zahl—zur Ehe geführt; so, nachdem er übermenschliche Taten vollbracht hatte, wie wurde er pferdegesichtig (Aśvamukha)?

कन्याःmaidens
कन्याः:
कर्म (Object; with उद्वाहिता)
TypeNoun
Rootकन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); बहुवचन
and
:
समुच्चय (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक
उद्वाहिताःwere married off
उद्वाहिताः:
क्रिया/प्रेडिकेट (Predicate: were married off)
TypeVerb
Root√वह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-उद्
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (कन्याः) सह अन्वय
येनby whom
येन:
करण (Agent/Instrument: by whom)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
सहस्राणिthousands
सहस्राणि:
विशेषण (Quantifier of कन्याः)
TypeNoun
Rootसहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral noun)
and
:
समुच्चय (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक
षट्six
षट्:
संख्या-विशेषण (Numeral qualifier)
TypeNoun
Rootषट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् संख्या; (षट्) — संख्यावाचक; यहाँ 'षोडश' निर्माणार्थ
दशten
दश:
संख्या-विशेषण (Numeral qualifier)
TypeNoun
Rootदश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् संख्या; संख्यावाचक; 'षट् दश' = षोडश (sixteen)
अमानुषाणिnon-human (things/beings)
अमानुषाणि:
कर्म (Object; with कृत्वा)
TypeAdjective
Rootअ + मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन
कृत्वाhaving made/done
कृत्वा:
क्रियाविशेषण (Prior action)
TypeVerb
Root√कृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)
इत्थम्thus
इत्थम्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइत्थम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: in this manner)
कथम्how?
कथम्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Interrogative modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक
सःhe
सः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन
अश्वमुखःhorse-faced (one)
अश्वमुखः:
कर्ता/प्रेडिकेट-नाम
TypeNoun
Rootअश्व + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष
अभवत्became
अभवत्:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Narrator/Questioner within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya (concluding the wonder-question)

Tirtha: Dvārakā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Scene: A royal Dvārakā scene: the deity-king surrounded by rescued maidens/queens, symbolizing protection and restoration; the narrator’s astonishment overlays the scene—how could such a one become Aśvamukha?

1
16,000 maidens (kanyāḥ)
A
Aśvamukha/Hayānana
K
Kṛṣṇa (implied)

FAQs

Divine līlā transcends ordinary categories; the Lord’s wondrous deeds and forms are for dharma’s protection and devotees’ awakening.

The verse remains within Dharmāraṇya’s māhātmya setting without naming an additional tīrtha.

None; it is framed as an astonished theological question.