Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

नवप्रजापतीनां च तेजसा दंतपंक्तयः । चक्षुर्द्वयं समजनि हव्यवाहनतेजसा

Transliteration

navaprajāpatīnāṃ ca tejasā daṃtapaṃktayaḥ | cakṣurdvayaṃ samajani havyavāhanatejasā

Translation

De l’éclat des neuf Prajāpatis se formèrent les rangées de ses dents ; et de la splendeur flamboyante de Havyavāhana (Agni) naquit sa paire d’yeux.

Word by Word

• नव: nine
• नव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषणम्; पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्; 'प्रजापतीनाम्' इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रजापतीनाम्: of the Prajāpatis
• प्रजापतीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• तेजसा: by the radiance
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम्

• दन्तपङ्क्तयः: rows of teeth
• दन्तपङ्क्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दन्तानां पङ्क्तयः)

• चक्षुः: eye(s)
• चक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; 'द्वयम्' इति विशेषणेन सह

• द्वयम्: a pair (two)
• द्वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्

• समजनि: was produced/arose
• समजनि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/लुङ्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• हव्यवाहनतेजसा: by the radiance of the fire-god (Agni)
• हव्यवाहनतेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्यवाहन (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हव्यवाहनस्य तेजसा)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha (Rāmeśvara region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Devī-form begins to arise: teeth crystallize from the brilliance of the nine Prajāpatis; her eyes ignite from Agni’s blaze—cosmic artisanship rendered as radiance becoming anatomy.

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati
• Havyavāhana (Agni)
• Devī (Durgā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power manifests through the unified, consecrated energies (tejas) of cosmic guardians, showing that dharma-protecting strength arises from sacred cooperation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger context is Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha) in the Setukhaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on Devī’s manifestation rather than a specific tirtha-act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive of Devī’s formation from divine radiance.