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

Wahai Puruṣa berkepala seribu, wahai Tuhan yang banyak diseru, pemberi kebahagiaan—apa pun yang telah ada dan apa pun yang akan ada, dalam semuanya itu Engkaulah satu-satunya Puruṣa.

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.