Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अवतीर्णस्य भूपृष्ठे देवकार्येण केनचित् । वाजिवक्त्रधरा प्रोक्ता यद्येषा मम कांतया

Transliteration

avatīrṇasya bhūpṛṣṭhe devakāryeṇa kenacit | vājivaktradharā proktā yadyeṣā mama kāṃtayā

Translation

„Wenn ich aus irgendeinem göttlichen Auftrag auf die Erde herabgestiegen bin und sie wegen meiner Geliebten als ‚die Pferdegesicht Tragende‘ bezeichnet wird …“

Word by Word

• अवतीर्णस्य: of (one) descended/incarnated
• अवतीर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तः (PPP) ‘अवतीर्ण’; पुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (कस्य? अवतीर्णस्य); English: genitive singular participle

• भूपृष्ठे: on the earth’s surface
• भूपृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूः पृष्ठम्); English: locative singular

• देवकार्येण: by/for a divine task
• देवकार्येण: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/हेतु), एकवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां कार्यम्); English: instrumental singular

• केनचित्: by someone; by some (means)
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अनिश्चितार्थकः (‘some’); English: instrumental singular ‘by someone/something’

• वाजिवक्त्रधरा: she who bears a horse-face
• वाजिवक्त्रधरा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि + वक्त्र + धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः (वाजेः वक्त्रम्) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + धरा ‘धारयन्ती’ इति; समस्तं ‘वाजिवक्त्रं धरति’ (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहिसदृशः), व्यवहारतः तत्पुरुषः; English: fem. nom. sg

• प्रोक्ता: is called; was said
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तः (PPP) ‘प्रोक्त’; स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: PPP, fem. nom. sg ‘is said/called’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-सम्बन्धक-अव्ययम्; English: conditional conjunction

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: nominative singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: genitive singular

• कान्तया: by (my) beloved/wife
• कान्तया: Karana (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), एकवचनम्; English: instrumental singular

Speaker

Keśava/Divine figure (continuing first-person narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord speaks of his descent to earth for a divine mission, explaining that the ‘horse-faced’ description arises due to connection with his beloved—hinting at a hidden backstory.

Characters & Entities

• avatāra (descent)
• devakārya (divine mission)
• kāntā (beloved/consort)
• vājivaktradharā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often link bodily marks and epithets to divine missions and karmic causality, framing suffering within a larger sacred purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identifiable from this single verse; it is embedded in a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides mythic explanation and conditional statement.