Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सप्तमं पिचुनामेति सप्तैवं वदनानि मे । तेभ्योऽजं ब्रह्मणे दत्तं पिचुवक्त्रं तु विष्णवे

Transliteration

saptamaṃ picunāmeti saptaivaṃ vadanāni me | tebhyo'jaṃ brahmaṇe dattaṃ picuvaktraṃ tu viṣṇave

Translation

Das siebte heißt Picu—so hatte ich sieben Antlitze. Von ihnen wurde das Antlitz Aja Brahmā gegeben und das Antlitz Picu Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• सप्तमम्: the seventh
• सप्तमम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (क्रमवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• पिचु: Picu (name)
• पिचु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिचु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (as a name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः (numeral)

• एवम्: thus; in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• वदनानि: faces
• वदनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• तेभ्यः: from them
• तेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-बहुवचन (Ablative, Plural)

• अजम्: Aja (Brahmā)
• अजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ब्रह्मणे: to Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular)

• दत्तम्: was given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → दत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• पिचुवक्त्रम्: the Picu-face (named Picu)
• पिचुवक्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिचु (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: व्यतिरेक/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (but; however)

• विष्णवे: to Viṣṇu
• विष्णवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (implied, addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with seven faces; two faces (Aja and Picu) are shown as luminous emanations moving toward Brahmā and Viṣṇu respectively, indicating bestowal; Devī witnesses the cosmic transfer.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Picu
• Aja
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic roles arise from a unified divine source, showing harmony among the deities in sustaining creation and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya frames these theological accounts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is doctrinal and genealogical within the sacred-place narrative.