Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

भूतप्रेतपिशाचानां शाकिनीनां तथैव च । मुखानि कारयेत्तत्र हावभावकृतानि च

Transliteration

bhūtapretapiśācānāṃ śākinīnāṃ tathaiva ca | mukhāni kārayettatra hāvabhāvakṛtāni ca

Translation

Dort soll man auch Gesichter von Bhūtas, Pretas, Piśācas und ebenso von Śākinīs anfertigen lassen, gestaltet mit ausdrucksvollen Gebärden und Stimmungen.

Word by Word

• भूतप्रेतपिशाचानाम्: of bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas
• भूतप्रेतपिशाचानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-प्रेत-पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; त्रि-द्वन्द्व-समासः

• शाकिनीनाम्: of the śākinīs
• शाकिनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुखानि: faces
• मुखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• कारयेत्: should have (them) made
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कारय् (कृ धातोः णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• हावभावकृतानि: made with (various) gestures and expressions
• हावभावकृतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाव-भाव-कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृत = कृ(धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषण; समासः—‘हावभावेन कृतानि’ (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभावः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual workshop/space where grotesque yet artful masks are crafted: hollow eyes, elongated mouths, wild hair; each face conveys a distinct emotion—terror, hunger, rage, pleading—intended for a night ceremony.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtas
• Pretas
• Piśācas
• Śākinīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fearsome forces are ritually acknowledged and contained through dhārmic, community-centered worship practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, a celebrated tīrtha in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Creating expressive faces/masks depicting various spirit-beings (bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, śākinīs) as part of the rite.