Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अहं मानुषवक्त्राऽस्मि पापच्छायाऽवृतं मुखम् । दृश्यते मृगवक्त्राभं तस्माच्छीघ्रं विमुंचय

Transliteration

ahaṃ mānuṣavaktrā'smi pāpacchāyā'vṛtaṃ mukham | dṛśyate mṛgavaktrābhaṃ tasmācchīghraṃ vimuṃcaya

Translation

Aku sebenarnya berwajah manusia, namun wajah ini diselubungi bayang-bayang dosa. Ia tampak seperti wajah rusa; maka segeralah lepaskan (agar penawar itu bermula).

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मानुषवक्त्रा: (one) with a human face
• मानुषवक्त्रा: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष-वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; मानुष + वक्त्र)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘मानुषं वक्त्रं यस्याः/या’ (having a human face)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पापच्छायया: by a sinful shadow
• पापच्छायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-छाया (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + छाया)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘पापस्य छाया’

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (agreeing with मुखम्)

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग—‘is seen/appears’

• मृगवक्त्राभम्: like a deer’s face
• मृगवक्त्राभम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग-वक्त्र-आभ (प्रातिपदिक; मृग + वक्त्र + आभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘मृगवक्त्रस्य आभा/सदृशम्’ (resembling a deer’s face)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम—‘therefore/from that’

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘quickly’

• विमुञ्चय: release (it)
• विमुञ्चय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

The same female figure describing her afflicted condition

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha / Svarṇarekhā tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied) and attendants

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A being declares: 'I am human-faced, but my face is covered by the shadow of sin; it looks like a deer’s face—so release it quickly.' The focus is on the contrast between true identity and distorted appearance.

Characters & Entities

• pāpa
• mṛga-vaktra (deer-like face)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin is depicted as a ‘shadow’ that distorts perception and form, while dharmic remedy and tirtha-grace restore original dignity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage points to Vastrāpatha and Svarṇarekhā waters as the locus of restoration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An urgent instruction to ‘release’ (vimuñcaya) is given, tied to the earlier condition about Vastrāpatha and Svarṇarekhā-jala.