Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

स्वयं मनुष्यवदना कथमेषा भविष्यति । सावधानैर्द्विजैर्भूयः सर्वं संचिन्त्य चोच्यताम्

Transliteration

svayaṃ manuṣyavadanā kathameṣā bhaviṣyati | sāvadhānairdvijairbhūyaḥ sarvaṃ saṃcintya cocyatām

Translation

Bagaimana mungkin ia dengan sendirinya menjadi berwajah manusia? Hendaklah para brāhmaṇa yang waspada menimbang semuanya sekali lagi, lalu menyatakannya.

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: by herself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb)

• मनुष्यवदना: having a human face
• मनुष्यवदना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); मनुष्यं वदनं यस्याः/या इति

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• सावधानैः: by attentive (ones)
• सावधानैः: Karana (Means/Agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सावधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजैः: by the Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजैः: Karana (Agent/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• संचिन्त्य: having reflected
• संचिन्त्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-चिन्त् (धातु) → संचिन्त्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund)

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

• उच्यताम्: let it be said/explained
• उच्यताम्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

King (rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of brāhmaṇas seated in counsel, heads bowed in thought; the mysterious doe/figure nearby; the king waits as they prepare a definitive explanation.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• manuṣya-vadana (human-faced)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma encourages careful deliberation (sāvadānatā) before giving judgments about the miraculous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in the Prabhāsa region, where wondrous transformations form part of the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it prescribes thoughtful consultation and reasoned explanation by qualified brāhmaṇas.