Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पञ्चात्मिका तनुर्देव ब्राह्मणैस्ते प्रगीयते । सद्यो वामे तथाघोरे ईशो तत्पुरुषे तथा

Transliteration

pañcātmikā tanurdeva brāhmaṇaiste pragīyate | sadyo vāme tathāghore īśo tatpuruṣe tathā

Translation

ହେ ଦେବ, ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ ତୁମ ତନୁକୁ ପଞ୍ଚାତ୍ମିକା ବୋଲି ଗାନ କରନ୍ତି—ସଦ୍ୟୋଜାତ, ବାମ, ଅଘୋର, ଈଶ ଏବଂ ତତ୍ପୁରୁଷ—ଏହିମାନେ ତୁମ ସ୍ୱରୂପ।

Word by Word

• pañcātmikā: fivefold / consisting of five
• pañcātmikā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca + ātmikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• tanuḥ: body/form
• tanuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• brāhmaṇaiḥ: by the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• te: of you / your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• pragīyate: is sung/praised
• pragīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: immediately)

• vāme: in Vāma (the Vāmadeva aspect)
• vāme: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (particle/adverb: likewise)

• aghore: in Aghora (the Aghora aspect)
• aghore: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• īśaḥ: Īśa (the Lord)
• īśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tatpuruṣe: in Tatpuruṣa (aspect)
• tatpuruṣe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tatpuruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (particle/adverb: likewise)

Speaker

Devas

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pañcavaktra-liṅga or five-faced Śiva stands at a riverbank shrine; Brāhmaṇas chant while Devas listen, each face subtly distinguished, oriented to directions, with a calm, ritual atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Sadyojāta
• Vāmadeva
• Aghora
• Īśāna
• Tatpuruṣa
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s fivefold manifestation is a sacred doctrinal lens for worship, aligning Purāṇic devotion with Vedic-Śaiva theology.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a named site; it supports the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Śiva-centered sanctity through doctrinal praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, contemplation/recitation of Śiva’s five aspects (Pañcabrahma) as part of stuti and worship.