Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ते सर्वे पञ्चवक्त्राः स्युश्चंद्रालंकृतमस्तकाः । नागाभरणसंयुक्तास्तथैव वृषभध्वजाः

Transliteration

te sarve pañcavaktrāḥ syuścaṃdrālaṃkṛtamastakāḥ | nāgābharaṇasaṃyuktāstathaiva vṛṣabhadhvajāḥ

Translation

Sie alle werden fünffach-angesichtig, das Haupt vom Mond geschmückt; mit Schlangen als Schmuck geziert und den Stier als Zeichen tragend.

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• pañca-vaktrāḥ: five-faced
• pañca-vaktrāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca-vaktra (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + वक्त्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु (पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य)

• syuḥ: would be/should be
• syuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• candra-alaṃkṛta-mastakāḥ: with heads adorned by the moon
• candra-alaṃkṛta-mastakāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra-alaṃkṛta-mastaka (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्र + अलंकृत + मस्तक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चन्द्रेण अलंकृतं मस्तकं यस्य)

• nāga-ābharaṇa-saṃyuktāḥ: adorned with serpent-ornaments
• nāga-ābharaṇa-saṃyuktāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nāga-ābharaṇa-saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक; नाग + आभरण + संयुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नाग-आभरणैः संयुक्त)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus’)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• vṛṣabha-dhvajāḥ: having the bull as banner
• vṛṣabha-dhvajāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛṣabha-dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक; वृषभ + ध्वज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha-kṣetra / Rāmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Transfigured devotees emerge radiant, bearing Śiva’s marks: five faces, crescent moon on the matted crown, serpents as ornaments, and a banner with the bull; the Rāmeśvara liṅga stands as the source of transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (iconic attributes: five faces, moon, serpents, bull-banner)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with Rāmanātha’s kṣetra grants Śiva-sārūpya—attaining a form and attributes like Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmanātha Śiva-kṣetra at Rāmeśvaram (Setukhaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse describes the exalted result of residence/devotion in the kṣetra.