Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

भूतप्रेतपिशाचानां शाकिनीनां तथैव च । मुखानि कारयेत्तत्र हावभावकृतानि च

Transliteration

bhūtapretapiśācānāṃ śākinīnāṃ tathaiva ca | mukhāni kārayettatra hāvabhāvakṛtāni ca

Translation

Là encore, qu’on façonne des visages de bhūtas, de pretas, de piśācas, et aussi de śākinīs, réalisés avec des gestes et des expressions marquées.

Word by Word

• भूतप्रेतपिशाचानाम्: of bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas
• भूतप्रेतपिशाचानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-प्रेत-पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; त्रि-द्वन्द्व-समासः

• शाकिनीनाम्: of the śākinīs
• शाकिनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुखानि: faces
• मुखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• कारयेत्: should have (them) made
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कारय् (कृ धातोः णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• हावभावकृतानि: made with (various) gestures and expressions
• हावभावकृतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाव-भाव-कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृत = कृ(धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषण; समासः—‘हावभावेन कृतानि’ (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभावः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual workshop/space where grotesque yet artful masks are crafted: hollow eyes, elongated mouths, wild hair; each face conveys a distinct emotion—terror, hunger, rage, pleading—intended for a night ceremony.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtas
• Pretas
• Piśācas
• Śākinīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fearsome forces are ritually acknowledged and contained through dhārmic, community-centered worship practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, a celebrated tīrtha in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Creating expressive faces/masks depicting various spirit-beings (bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, śākinīs) as part of the rite.