Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

गालव उवाच । सहस्रशिरसं विष्णुं मत्स्यरूपधरं हरिम् । नमस्यामि हृषीकेशं कूर्मवाराहरूपिणम्

Transliteration

gālava uvāca | sahasraśirasaṃ viṣṇuṃ matsyarūpadharaṃ harim | namasyāmi hṛṣīkeśaṃ kūrmavārāharūpiṇam

Translation

Gālava sprach: Ich verneige mich vor Viṣṇu mit den tausend Köpfen, vor Hari, der die Gestalt des Fisches annahm. Ich verehre Hṛṣīkeśa, der die Formen der Schildkröte und des Ebers annahm.

Word by Word

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सहस्रशिरसम्: having a thousand heads
• सहस्रशिरसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (विष्णुम्)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्स्यरूपधरम्: bearing the form of a fish
• मत्स्यरूपधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्स्य + रूप + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (हरिम्/विष्णुम्)

• हरिम्: Hari
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नमस्यामि: I bow to / I salute
• नमस्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् (धातु: नमस्/नम)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हृषीकेशम्: Hṛṣīkeśa
• हृषीकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीकेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कूर्मवाराहरूपिणम्: having the forms of the tortoise and boar
• कूर्मवाराहरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूर्म + वाराह + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (हृषीकेशम्)

Speaker

Gālava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Gālava stands in prayer, hands folded, invoking Viṣṇu’s cosmic thousand-headed form and the early avatāras—Matsya emerging from waters, Kūrma supporting the churning, Varāha lifting Earth—suggested as visionary apparitions around him.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Viṣṇu
• Hari
• Hṛṣīkeśa
• Matsya
• Kūrma
• Varāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering Viṣṇu’s avatāras affirms divine protection across ages and deepens surrender (praṇāma) to Hari.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The stotra is voiced in the Dharmapuṣkariṇī tīrtha context of Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra-pāṭha (hymn recitation) as part of pūjā, invoking Viṣṇu by names and avatāra-forms.