Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

बर्बरीक उवाच । एको मया पुमान्दृष्टो युध्यमानः परैः सह । सव्यतः पंचवक्त्रः स दक्षिणे चैकवक्त्रतः

Transliteration

barbarīka uvāca | eko mayā pumāndṛṣṭo yudhyamānaḥ paraiḥ saha | savyataḥ paṃcavaktraḥ sa dakṣiṇe caikavaktrataḥ

Translation

Barbarīka dijo: «Vi a un solo hombre combatiendo contra muchos adversarios. A su izquierda se mostraba con cinco rostros, y a su derecha con un solo rostro.»

Word by Word

• बर्बरीकः: Barbarīka
• बर्बरीकः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्बरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

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

• एकः: one/single
• एकः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया; एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate: was seen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• युध्यमानः: fighting
• युध्यमानः: Karta (Qualifier of ‘man’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present middle participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• परैः: with others/with foes
• परैः: Sahakaraka (Co-agent/with whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like: with)

• सव्यतः: on the left
• सव्यतः: Adhikarana (Directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सव्यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: दिक्/स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (from/on the left side)

• पञ्चवक्त्रः: five-faced
• पञ्चवक्त्रः: Karta (Qualifier of ‘man’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (numeral compound)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject resumptive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: on the right (side)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/direction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (Locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकवक्त्रतः: as one-faced/from the one-faced side
• एकवक्त्रतः: Adhikarana (Directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकवक्त्रतस् (अव्यय; एक + वक्त्र + तस्)
• Form: तसिल्-अर्थक अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from/as to the side); दिक्वाचक प्रयोगः

Speaker

Barbarīka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhīma (and by extension the Pāṇḍavas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Barbarīka describes one warrior: on the left, five-faced; on the right, single-faced—suggesting a unified deity with Śaiva (pañcavaktra) and Vaiṣṇava (ekavaktra) aspects simultaneously present.

Characters & Entities

• Barbarīka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights the mystery of divine manifestation—one reality can appear in multiple forms according to cosmic purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse; it is a narrative description within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa instruction appears in this verse.