Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरा पञ्चशिरा आसीद्ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । तेनानृतं वचश्चोक्तं कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे

Transliteration

purā pañcaśirā āsīdbrahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | tenānṛtaṃ vacaścoktaṃ kasmiṃścitkāraṇāntare

Translation

Dans les temps anciens, Brahmā, l'aïeul des mondes, avait cinq têtes. À une occasion, en raison d'une certaine circonstance, il prononça un mensonge.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• पञ्चशिराः: the five-headed one
• पञ्चशिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ब्रह्मा इत्यस्य उपाधि

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अनृतम्: untruth; falsehood
• अनृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• वचः: speech; statement
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (as object)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• उक्तम्: was spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• कस्मिन्: in some
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• चित्: some; certain
• चित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनिश्चितार्थक-निपात (indefinite particle)

• कारणान्तरे: on another occasion; in another circumstance
• कारणान्तरे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Revā Khaṇḍa narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha / king addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, the grandsire, depicted with five heads in a celestial court; a moment of speaking falsehood introduces tension in the cosmic order.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest beings are bound by dharma; false speech becomes a cause for karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse begins the narrative that culminates in the glorification of Śuddharudra Tīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up the cause of the later expiatory pilgrimage and tīrtha-rite.