Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स्रष्टासौ पालको हंता अव्यक्तः सर्वदेहिनाम् । अनुकूलो महातेजाः कस्मादश्वमुखोऽभवत्

Transliteration

sraṣṭāsau pālako haṃtā avyaktaḥ sarvadehinām | anukūlo mahātejāḥ kasmādaśvamukho'bhavat

Translation

അവൻ സ്രഷ്ടാവും പാലകനും സംഹാരകനും ആകുന്നു; എല്ലാ ദേഹധാരികളോടും അവ്യക്തൻ, അനുകൂലൻ, മഹാതേജസ്വി. എങ്കിൽ അവൻ എങ്ങനെ അശ്വമുഖനായിത്തീർന്നു?

Word by Word

• स्रष्टा: creator
• स्रष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक; √सृज् धातु-सम्भवः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (agent noun)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पालकः: protector
• पालकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालक (प्रातिपदिक; √पाल् धातु-सम्भवः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम

• हन्ता: slayer
• हन्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हन् धातु-सम्भवः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम

• अव्यक्तः: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-उपसर्ग + व्यक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां देहिनाम्)

• अनुकूलः: favorable, benevolent
• अनुकूलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुकूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महत्तेजाः = महान् तेजस्वी)

• कस्मात्: from what cause? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• अश्वमुखः: horse-faced (one)
• अश्वमुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (अश्वस्य मुखं यस्य सः)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage or narrator extols the Supreme as creator-protector-destroyer, then poses the wonder-filled question: why did the radiant, benevolent Lord assume a horse-faced form? The moment is contemplative, with cosmic symbols (lotus, conch, discus) hinted behind the question.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (implied)
• Hayagrīva (implied by aśvamukha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can be unmanifest in essence yet manifest in chosen forms for the welfare of the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the inquiry into the avatāra’s purpose.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological question about divine manifestation.