Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो वचनात्तेन विधिशेषोऽवशेषितः । चरुप्राशनकाले तु पंचवक्त्रप्रकाशकृत्

Transliteration

brahmaṇo vacanāttena vidhiśeṣo'vaśeṣitaḥ | caruprāśanakāle tu paṃcavaktraprakāśakṛt

Translation

Sur l’injonction de Brahmā, les détails restants du rite furent achevés. Mais, au moment de prendre le caru, nourriture d’offrande consacrée, il manifesta l’éclat de ses cinq visages.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वचनात्: from (because of) the word/command
• वचनात्: Apādāna/Hetu (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन

• विधिशेषः: the remainder of the rite
• विधिशेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अवशेषितः: was left/was remaining
• अवशेषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-√शिष् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(विधिशेषः) अवशेषितः’

• चरुप्राशनकाले: at the time of eating the sacrificial porridge
• चरुप्राशनकाले: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरु + प्राशन + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• पञ्चवक्त्रप्रकाशकृत्: the one who made the five faces manifest
• पञ्चवक्त्रप्रकाशकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र + प्रकाश + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पञ्चवक्त्रस्य प्रकाशं करोति’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Deductive (narrator in Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the caru-prāśana moment, Śiva suddenly manifests the radiant pañcavaktra—five faces shining in different directions—while Brahmā directs the remaining ritual details; the assembly is stunned in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva (five-faced)
• Caru (ritual food/oblation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order and divine mystery coexist: śāstra-guided action culminates in direct manifestation of the Lord’s form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it highlights ritual completion and divine revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Completion of remaining ritual steps under Brahmā’s direction and caru-prāśana (eating of consecrated caru) are indicated.