Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सूर्याश्वशीर्षमानीय विश्व कर्मातिचातुरः । समधत्त शिरो विष्णो हयग्रीवोऽस्यतः प्रभो

Transliteration

sūryāśvaśīrṣamānīya viśva karmāticāturaḥ | samadhatta śiro viṣṇo hayagrīvo'syataḥ prabho

Translation

Dann brachte der mächtige Herr Hayagriva den Kopf des Sonnenpferdes; und Vishvakarman, überaus geschickt, setzte diesen Kopf als Haupt Vishnus auf.

Word by Word

• sūrya-aśva-śīrṣam: the head of the Sun’s horse
• sūrya-aśva-śīrṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (sūryasya aśvasya śīrṣam), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ānīya: having brought
• ānīya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund/absolutive), ‘having brought’

• viśvakarmā: Viśvakarmā
• viśvakarmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvakarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ati-cāturaḥ: very skillful
• ati-cāturaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + cātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (ati-cāturaḥ = अत्यन्तं चातुरः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (viśvakarmā)

• samadhatta: placed/attached
• samadhatta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धातु) + sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viṣṇo: O Viṣṇu
• viṣṇo: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hayagrīvaḥ: Hayagrīva
• hayagrīvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haya (प्रातिपदिक) + grīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘whose neck is a horse’ → horse-necked one), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• asya: of this (one)
• asya: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘therefore/from this’

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Brāhma Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hayagrīva brings the Sun’s horse-head; Viśvakarman, with tools and radiant skill, sets it as Viṣṇu’s head—depicted as a luminous, sacred transformation with attendants witnessing.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Hayagrīva
• Viśvakarman
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order is restored through dharmic agency: the Lord’s manifestation is upheld by sacred power (Hayagrīva) and righteous skill (Viśvakarman), showing that cosmic harmony is protected through purposeful action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa framework, emphasizing Dharmāraṇya as the sacred setting, though this particular line focuses on a divine event rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, snāna, dāna, or japa is stated in this shloka; it is narrative, supporting the broader Mahātmya context of merit associated with the Dharmāraṇya section.