Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

सहस्रचरणं देवं सहस्राक्षं महाप्रभम् । सहस्रशिरसं वेदा यमाहुर्वै युगेयुगे

Transliteration

sahasracaraṇaṃ devaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ mahāprabham | sahasraśirasaṃ vedā yamāhurvai yugeyuge

Translation

സഹസ്ര പാദങ്ങളും സഹസ്ര നേത്രങ്ങളും ഉള്ള മഹാപ്രഭയായ ആ ദേവനെ—വേദങ്ങൾ യുഗം യുഗമായി ‘സഹസ്രശിരസ്’ എന്നു പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सहस्रचरणम्: having a thousand feet
• सहस्रचरणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-भावः (सहस्रं चरणानि यस्य) विशेषणम् (देवम्)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहस्राक्षम्: having a thousand eyes
• सहस्राक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-भावः (सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य) विशेषणम् (देवम्)

• महाप्रभम्: of great splendor
• महाप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् प्रभः/प्रभावः यस्य) विशेषणम् (देवम्)

• सहस्रशिरसम्: having a thousand heads
• सहस्रशिरसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-भावः (सहस्रं शिरांसि यस्य) विशेषणम् (यम्)

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आहुः: declare, call
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• युगे: in an age
• युगे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युगे: in every age
• युगे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (iteration)

Speaker

Unspecified (continuation of the inquiry/praise sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic Viṣṇu/Puruṣa form fills the sky above Prabhāsa—countless eyes and feet suggested through patterned motifs; below, the seashore and pilgrims appear tiny, emphasizing all-pervasion.

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Cosmic Puruṣa/Hari (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is the cosmic Puruṣa praised by the Vedas; tying such praise to Prabhāsa heightens the tīrtha’s spiritual stature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, by contextual association within its māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a Vedic-style stuti (praise).