Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । आदिसर्गे पुरा शम्भुर्ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । विकारं पञ्चमं दृष्ट्वा शिरोऽश्वमुखसन्निभम्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | ādisarge purā śambhurbrahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | vikāraṃ pañcamaṃ dṛṣṭvā śiro'śvamukhasannibham

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya dit : « Dans la création primordiale, il y a longtemps, Śambhu vit la cinquième manifestation de Brahmā, le Seigneur Suprême : une tête ressemblant à la face d'un cheval. »

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• आदि-सर्गे: in the primordial creation
• आदि-सर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमेष्ठिनः: of the Supreme Lord (epithet of Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विकारम्: a transformation, change
• विकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चमम्: fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying) विकारम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अश्व-मुख-सन्निभम्: resembling a horse’s face
• अश्व-मुख-सन्निभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying) शिरः

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the dawn of creation, Śambhu beholds Brahmā’s fifth manifestation—an uncanny head with an aśva-like visage—hovering in a luminous, formless cosmic space.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-glories are anchored in cosmic narratives, linking sacred geography to primordial divine actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse begins the backstory that will explain Dhauta-pāpa tīrtha’s power, though the site is not named within this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a mythic origin account.