Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । आकर्णय मुने पूर्वं पंचवक्त्रो हरः स्वयम् । पृथिव्यां पंचधा भूत्वा प्रादुरासीज्जगद्धितः

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | ākarṇaya mune pūrvaṃ paṃcavaktro haraḥ svayam | pṛthivyāṃ paṃcadhā bhūtvā prādurāsījjagaddhitaḥ

Translation

Skanda sprach: Höre, o Weiser, was einst geschah. Hara selbst, der Fünfgesichtige, offenbarte sich auf Erden in fünf Gestalten, zum Heil der Welt.

Word by Word

• स्कंदः: Skanda
• स्कंदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कंद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• आकर्णय: listen; hear
• आकर्णय: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्णय्/कर्ण (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: first; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Desha-Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: first/before)

• पंचवक्त्रः: five-faced
• पंचवक्त्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘हरः’; समासः—पञ्च वक्त्राणि यस्य (द्विगु/बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (emphatic: himself)

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पंचधा: fivefold
• पंचधा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पंचधा (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in five ways/into five parts)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive): ‘having become’

• प्रादुरासीत्: appeared; manifested
• प्रादुरासीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रादुर् + अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘प्रादुर्’ उपसर्गवत् (appeared)

• जगद्धितः: beneficial to the world
• जगद्धितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत् + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘हरः’; समासः—जगतः हितः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (addressed as 'mune')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda narrates: five-faced Hara descends and becomes five forms on earth. Visualize a central pañcavaktra Śiva radiating into five emanations, each taking a distinct stance, blessing the world.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s manifestations are compassionate interventions—divinity appears in forms suited to protect Dharma and uplift the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is thematic rather than locational; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa it supports the sanctity of Śiva-connected sacred places in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a theological narrative about Śiva’s fivefold appearance.