Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा चतुर्वक्त्रं महादेवो द्विजोत्तमाः । सरस्वतीं च गायत्रीं प्रोवाच प्रीणयन्गिरा

Transliteration

evamuktvā caturvaktraṃ mahādevo dvijottamāḥ | sarasvatīṃ ca gāyatrīṃ provāca prīṇayangirā

Translation

Nachdem Mahādeva so zum viergesichtigen Brahmā gesprochen hatte, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, wandte er sich an Sarasvatī und an Gāyatrī und erfreute sie mit seinen Worten.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having said)

• चतुर्वक्त्रम्: the four-faced (Brahmā)
• चतुर्वक्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular); कर्मपद

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (nominative singular)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (or: the best Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Viśeṣaṇa (सम्बोधन/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (nominative plural); संबोधनार्थे/विशेषणरूपेण—“श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः” (contextually epithet)

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction “and”)

• गायत्रीम्: Gāyatrī
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रीणयन्: pleasing
• प्रीणयन्: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृअन्वय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु) → प्रीणयत् (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तृसमानाधिकरण

• गिरा: with speech/words
• गिरा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (instrumental singular)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gāyatrī-kuṇḍa and Sarasvatī-kuṇḍa (twin kuṇḍas within Setu-kṣetra)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience of twice-born sages/learned listeners)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva, after addressing four-faced Brahmā, turns with gentle authority to Sarasvatī and Gāyatrī, consoling them; the twin kuṇḍas shimmer nearby, with a Setu-kṣetra coastal ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Mahādeva)
• Brahmā (Caturvaktra)
• Sarasvatī
• Gāyatrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred speech (girā) is itself purifying; divine instruction often proceeds through pleasing, harmonizing words.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa context prepares for the naming and establishment of a tīrtha associated with Sarasvatī and Gāyatrī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual here; it transitions to a tīrtha-related command in the following verses.