Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

सहस्रशीर्षपुरुष पुरुहूत सुखप्रद । यद्भूतं यच्च भाव्यं वै तत्रैकः पुरुषो भवान्

Transliteration

sahasraśīrṣapuruṣa puruhūta sukhaprada | yadbhūtaṃ yacca bhāvyaṃ vai tatraikaḥ puruṣo bhavān

Translation

ആയിരം തലകളുള്ള പുരുഷാ, അനേകരാൽ വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നവനേ, സുഖം നൽകുന്നവനേ! കഴിഞ്ഞതും വരാനിരിക്കുന്നതുമായ എല്ലാറ്റിലും അങ്ങ് മാത്രമാണ് ഏക പുരുഷൻ.

Word by Word

• सहस्र: thousand
• सहस्र: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; (समासाङ्ग)

• शीर्ष: heads
• शीर्ष: Sambandha (Relation within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्षन्/शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• पुरुष: O Person of a thousand heads
• पुरुष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः— 'सहस्रशीर्षः पुरुषः'

• पुरुहूत: O much-invoked one
• पुरुहूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरु (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ) + हूत (ह्वे/हू धातु, क्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; 'बहुभिः आहूतः' इति

• सुखप्रद: O giver of happiness
• सुखप्रद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (दा धातु से— 'प्रद' प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; 'सुखं प्रददाति' इति

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूतम्: past; what has been
• भूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'भूतं' = 'गतं/अतीतम्'

• यत्: and whatever
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (द्वितीय-समुच्चय)

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

• भाव्यम्: future; what is to be
• भाव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) → भाव्य (कृदन्त, यत्/gerundive)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'भवितव्यं'

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• तत्र: there; in that (all)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुरुषः: person; being
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थे द्वितीयपुरुषार्थकः

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from Adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic form is invoked: the thousand-headed Puruṣa encompassing time—past and future—while the devotee addresses Him as the sole reality behind all phenomena.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasraśīrṣa Puruṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All times and states are encompassed by the One Divine Person; recognizing this unity steadies the mind and deepens surrender (śaraṇāgati).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame implies Kāśī’s sanctity, though the verse itself is a universal theological declaration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it supports meditation (dhyāna) on the cosmic Puruṣa alongside stuti.