Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एकहस्तास्त्रिहस्ताश्च पंचहस्तास्त्वहस्तकाः । अपादा बहुपादाश्च बहुकर्णैककर्णकाः

Transliteration

ekahastāstrihastāśca paṃcahastāstvahastakāḥ | apādā bahupādāśca bahukarṇaikakarṇakāḥ

Translation

ചിലർ ഏകഹസ്തർ, ചിലർ ത്രിഹസ്തർ, ചിലർ പഞ്ചഹസ്തർ, ചിലർ അഹസ്തകർ (കൈകളില്ലാത്തവർ) ആയിരുന്നു. ചിലർ അപാദർ (കാലില്ലാത്തവർ), ചിലർ ബഹുപാദർ; ചിലർ ബഹുകർണർ, ചിലർ ഏകകർണർ ആയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• eka-hastāḥ: one-handed
• eka-hastāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु (one-handed)

• tri-hastāḥ: three-handed
• tri-hastāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु (three-handed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• pañca-hastāḥ: five-handed
• pañca-hastāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु (five-handed)

• tu: but/and indeed
• tu: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• a-hastakāḥ: handless
• a-hastakāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्-प्रत्यय) + hastaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (handless)

• a-pādāḥ: footless
• a-pādāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (footless)

• bahu-pādāḥ: many-footed
• bahu-pādāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (many-footed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• bahu-karṇa-eka-karṇakāḥ: many-eared and one-eared
• bahu-karṇa-eka-karṇakāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + karṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + karṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (some many-eared, some one-eared)

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in snippet; likely a purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A surreal anatomical panorama: one-armed, three-armed, five-armed, armless figures; footless and many-footed beings; some with many ears, some with a single ear—arrayed like a moving tapestry of altered bodies.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred narrative teaches reverence for the vastness of creation—divine order operates through countless, unimaginable forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.