Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वक्त्राणि मम देवेशि सप्तासन्पूर्वमेव हि । सद्योजातादिपंचैव षष्ठं स्मृतमजेति च

Transliteration

vaktrāṇi mama deveśi saptāsanpūrvameva hi | sadyojātādipaṃcaiva ṣaṣṭhaṃ smṛtamajeti ca

Translation

Ô Déesse, jadis j’avais en vérité sept visages : les cinq commençant par Sadyojāta, et le sixième aussi, dont on se souvient sous le nom d’Aja.

Word by Word

• वक्त्राणि: faces/mouths
• वक्त्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• देवेशि: O Lady of the Lord (address to Devī)
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी/देवेशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; बहुवचनार्थे (numeral)

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person plural)

• पूर्वम्: formerly; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (for/indeed)

• सद्योजातादि: beginning with Sadyojāta
• सद्योजातादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सद्योजात (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: आदि-समास/तत्पुरुषप्रायः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• पञ्च: the five (set)
• पञ्च: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (collective ‘five’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• षष्ठम्: the sixth
• षष्ठम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (क्रमवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/called
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्√स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → स्मृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• अजा: Ajā
• अजा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śiva (implied, addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary depiction of Śiva with seven faces, the five pañcabrahma faces prominent, with an additional ‘Aja’ face indicated as distinct; Devī listens in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Sadyojāta
• Aja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine forms are many, yet they serve dharma—revealing how cosmic functions can be expressed through sacred iconography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse provides theological background for the māhātmya narrative.