Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

चतुर्वक्त्र नमस्तुभ्यं पद्मयोने नमोऽस्तु ते । विरंचये नमस्तुभ्यं विधये वेधसे नमः

Transliteration

caturvaktra namastubhyaṃ padmayone namo'stu te | viraṃcaye namastubhyaṃ vidhaye vedhase namaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ചതുര്മുഖാ! നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം; ഹേ പദ്മയോനി! നിനക്കു നമോ നമഃ. ഹേ വിരഞ്ചി! നിനക്കു പ്രണാമം; ഹേ വിധാതാ, ഹേ വേധസ്! നിനക്കു നമഃ.

Word by Word

• चतुर्वक्त्र: O four-faced one
• चतुर्वक्त्र: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• त्वुभ्यम्: to you
• त्वुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पद्मयोने: O lotus-born one
• पद्मयोने: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विरंचये: to Virāñci (Brahmā)
• विरंचये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरञ्चि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• त्वुभ्यम्: to you
• त्वुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विधये: to Vidhī (the Ordainer; Brahmā)
• विधये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वेधसे: to Vedhas (the Creator)
• वेधसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

Speaker

Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of austere ṛṣis with matted hair and deer-skins stand in reverent posture, palms joined, chanting epithets to four-faced Brahmā seated on a lotus; the sacred coastal landscape of Prabhāsa is hinted with water and temple silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Caturvaktra
• Padmayoni
• Virañci
• Vidhātṛ
• Vedhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering divine epithets refines devotion by contemplating the deity’s cosmic functions and symbolic forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; this verse focuses on Brahmā’s praise rather than a terrestrial tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of divine names (nāma-stuti) is implied as a form of worship.