Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कन्याश्चोद्वाहिता येन सहस्राणि च षड् दश । अमानुषाणि कृत्वेत्थं कथं सोऽश्वमुखोऽभवत्

Transliteration

kanyāścodvāhitā yena sahasrāṇi ca ṣaḍ daśa | amānuṣāṇi kṛtvetthaṃ kathaṃ so'śvamukho'bhavat

Translation

Par lui furent épousées des jeunes filles—au nombre de seize mille ; ainsi, après avoir accompli des œuvres surhumaines, comment devint-il au visage de cheval (Aśvamukha) ?

Word by Word

• कन्याः: maidens
• कन्याः: कर्म (Object; with उद्वाहिता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• उद्वाहिताः: were married off
• उद्वाहिताः: क्रिया/प्रेडिकेट (Predicate: were married off)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-उद्
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (कन्याः) सह अन्वय

• येन: by whom
• येन: करण (Agent/Instrument: by whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: विशेषण (Quantifier of कन्याः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral noun)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• षट्: six
• षट्: संख्या-विशेषण (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; (षट्) — संख्यावाचक; यहाँ 'षोडश' निर्माणार्थ

• दश: ten
• दश: संख्या-विशेषण (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; संख्यावाचक; 'षट् दश' = षोडश (sixteen)

• अमानुषाणि: non-human (things/beings)
• अमानुषाणि: कर्म (Object; with कृत्वा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: in this manner)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक

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

• अश्वमुखः: horse-faced (one)
• अश्वमुखः: कर्ता/प्रेडिकेट-नाम
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator/Questioner within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya (concluding the wonder-question)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal Dvārakā scene: the deity-king surrounded by rescued maidens/queens, symbolizing protection and restoration; the narrator’s astonishment overlays the scene—how could such a one become Aśvamukha?

Characters & Entities

• 16,000 maidens (kanyāḥ)
• Aśvamukha/Hayānana
• Kṛṣṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine līlā transcends ordinary categories; the Lord’s wondrous deeds and forms are for dharma’s protection and devotees’ awakening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within Dharmāraṇya’s māhātmya setting without naming an additional tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is framed as an astonished theological question.