Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तिर्यञ्च वपुषश्चान्या वक्त्रैर्मानुषसंभवैः । त्रिशीर्षाः पञ्चशीर्षाश्च दशशीर्षास्तथा पराः

Transliteration

tiryañca vapuṣaścānyā vaktrairmānuṣasaṃbhavaiḥ | triśīrṣāḥ pañcaśīrṣāśca daśaśīrṣāstathā parāḥ

Translation

Certaines avaient un corps d’animal, mais des visages semblables à ceux nés parmi les humains. D’autres avaient trois têtes, d’autres cinq, et d’autres encore dix.

Word by Word

• tiryañcaḥ: animal-like; non-human
• tiryañcaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tiryañc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (anyāḥ) — ‘tiryak’ (animal-like/oblique)

• vapuṣaḥ: of body/form
• vapuṣaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• anyāḥ: others (female)
• anyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (elliptic ‘mātaraḥ’)

• vaktraiḥ: with faces/mouths
• vaktraiḥ: Instrumental/Means (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• mānuṣa-saṃbhavaiḥ: of human origin
• mānuṣa-saṃbhavaiḥ: Instrumental/Means (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘human-origin’); विशेषणम् (vaktraiḥ)

• tri-śīrṣāḥ: three-headed
• tri-śīrṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘three-headed’); विशेषणम् (parāḥ/anyāḥ)

• pañca-śīrṣāḥ: five-headed
• pañca-śīrṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘five-headed’)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• daśa-śīrṣāḥ: ten-headed
• daśa-śīrṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘ten-headed’)

• tathā: likewise; also
• tathā: Connector/Adverbial (Samucchaya/Kriyāviśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also/likewise’

• parāḥ: others
• parāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (‘others’)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuṇḍa (name not specified in given verses)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of Mothers: some with animal torsos but human-like faces; others towering with three, five, or ten heads, each head crowned, eyes blazing in all directions above the kuṇḍa’s mist.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha narrative emphasizes the vastness of creation and the need for inner composure and faith amid uncanny manifestations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Tīrthamāhātmya context glorifies a sacred locale within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse alone does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears in this verse.