Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सहस्रभगचिह्नस्तु वक्त्रदेशे बभूव ह

Transliteration

sahasrabhagacihnastu vaktradeśe babhūva ha

Translation

Indeed, the mark of a thousand “bhaga” signs appeared upon his facial region.

Word by Word

• सहस्रभगचिह्नः: bearing a thousand marks (of vulvas)
• सहस्रभगचिह्नः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + भग (प्रातिपदिक) + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सहस्रं भगचिह्नानि यस्य) ‘marked with a thousand vulva-signs’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• वक्त्रदेशे: on the face-region
• वक्त्रदेशे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वक्त्रस्य देशः)

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed (emphasis)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/emphatic particle, कथनप्रत्यय)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Indra-cihna-nāśa tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra’s face bears numerous symbolic marks; he covers his face in shame while the sage stands unwavering; the marks are depicted as patterned motifs rather than explicit anatomy.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dishonor follows adharma; visible signs represent the public dimension of moral law in purāṇic ethics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.