Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तस्मादहं महादेवि पंचवक्त्रोऽधुनाऽभवम् । अजस्तु ब्रह्मा सञ्जज्ञे पिचुर्विष्णुरजायत

Transliteration

tasmādahaṃ mahādevi paṃcavaktro'dhunā'bhavam | ajastu brahmā sañjajñe picurviṣṇurajāyata

Translation

Ainsi donc, ô Grande Déesse, je suis désormais à cinq visages. Aja devint Brahmā, et Picu devint Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/तस्मात्-प्रयोगः) = ‘therefore/from that (cause)’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग-निरपेक्ष (pronoun), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• पञ्चवक्त्रः: five-faced
• पञ्चवक्त्रः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अहम् इत्यस्य)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अभवम्: I became
• अभवम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अजः: Aja (the Unborn)
• अजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सञ्जज्ञे: was born; came into being
• सञ्जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• पिचुः: Picu (a named being)
• पिचुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिचु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (नामविशेषः; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूपम्)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अजायत: was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Śiva (implied, addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva now shown as five-faced (pañcavaktra), with Brahmā and Viṣṇu depicted as distinct deities standing respectfully, indicating their emergence/identity from Aja and Picu aspects; Devī beside Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Aja
• Picu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Multiplicity of forms supports cosmic order; divinity adapts in form for the welfare of the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the māhātmya situates these revelations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct vrata or dāna is stated in this verse.