Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

वदनं चापि कन्यायाः पार्थ बर्करिकाकृति । श्रृणु तत्कारणं सर्वं महाश्चर्यसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

vadanaṃ cāpi kanyāyāḥ pārtha barkarikākṛti | śrṛṇu tatkāraṇaṃ sarvaṃ mahāścaryasamanvitam

Translation

ഹേ പാർഥാ, ആ കന്യയുടെ മുഖവും ബർക്കരിയെപ്പോലെ ആകൃതിയുള്ളതായിരുന്നു. മഹാശ്ചര്യസമന്വിതമായ അതിന്റെ മുഴുവൻ കാരണവും കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• वदनम्: face
• वदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (particle: also/even)

• कन्यायाः: of the maiden
• कन्यायाः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• बर्करिकाकृति: (it is) of barkarikā-like form
• बर्करिकाकृति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्करिका (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बर्करिकायाः आकृतिः)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्कारणम्: its cause
• तत्कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (तस्य कारणम्)

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्कारणम् इति विशेष्य)

• महाश्चर्यसमन्वितम्: endowed with great wonder
• महाश्चर्यसमन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्+अन्वि/अन्वि धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (महद्-आश्चर्येण समन्वितम्)

Speaker

Śrī Nārada (continuing narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Staṃbha-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator addresses ‘Pārtha’, pointing to a maiden with an unusual goat-like (barkarī) facial form; the moment is a narrative hinge inviting the listener into a marvel-filled backstory.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Kumārikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach that unusual events have karmic and dharmic causes worth hearing with faith and attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific site is not yet named in this verse, but the narrative is moving toward a localized account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a cause-and-wonder narrative.