Previous Verse
Next Verse

Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

अस्यैवाक्षरमाहात्म्यं नालं वक्तुं चतुर्मुखः । श्रुतयो यत्र सिद्धांतं गताः परमनिर्वृताः

asyaivākṣaramāhātmyaṃ nālaṃ vaktuṃ caturmukhaḥ | śrutayo yatra siddhāṃtaṃ gatāḥ paramanirvṛtāḥ

Même Brahmā aux quatre visages ne suffit pas à dire pleinement la grandeur de ce mantra-syllabe. C’est là que les Veda parviennent à leur conclusion ultime et reposent dans la paix suprême.

अस्यof this
अस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
एवindeed
एव:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle/emphasis)
अक्षरमाहात्म्यम्the greatness of the syllable
अक्षरमाहात्म्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन
not
:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle)
अलम्able / sufficient
अलम्:
Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअलम् (अव्यय)
Formपर्याप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable of sufficiency)
वक्तुम्to speak
वक्तुम्:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु) → वक्तुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय, infinitive)
Formकृदन्त (infinitive), तुमुन्; क्रियार्थक
चतुर्मुखःthe four-faced one (Brahmā)
चतुर्मुखः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (one who has four faces)
श्रुतयःthe Vedas
श्रुतयः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
यत्रwhere
यत्र:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयत्र (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)
सिद्धान्तम्the established conclusion
सिद्धान्तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसिद्धान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
गताःhave reached
गताः:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु) → गत (क्त-प्रत्यय, past participle)
Formकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे
परमनिर्वृताःsupremely content / fully at rest
परमनिर्वृताः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरम (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्वृत (क्त-प्रत्यय; निर्वृ/निर्वा-धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally)

Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator in Brahmottara-khaṇḍa (likely Sūta/compilational voice)

Scene: Four-faced Brahmā seated on a lotus, scrolls of Veda unfurling and dissolving into a luminous five-syllable mantra; the syllables become a calm ocean of light where sound subsides into silence.

B
Brahmā (Caturmukha)
Ś
Śruti (Vedas)

FAQs

The Śiva-mantra is portrayed as so profound that even Brahmā cannot exhaust its praise; it aligns with the Vedas’ ultimate purport.

No location is specified; the verse glorifies the mantra as the ‘end’ (siddhānta) of Śruti.

Implicitly, reverent engagement with the mantra; no separate rite (snāna/dāna) is stated.