Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

स देवो लीलया कृत्वा कथं चाश्वमुखोऽभवत् । यो जातो यादवे वंशे पूतनाशकटादिकम्

Transliteration

sa devo līlayā kṛtvā kathaṃ cāśvamukho'bhavat | yo jāto yādave vaṃśe pūtanāśakaṭādikam

Translation

ସେଇ ଦେବ ଲୀଳାମାତ୍ରେ ସବୁ କରନ୍ତି; ତେବେ ସେ କିପରି ଅଶ୍ୱମୁଖ (ହୟାନନ) ହେଲେ? ଯିଏ ଯାଦବବଂଶେ ଜନ୍ମି ପୂତନା, ଶକଟ ଆଦିଙ୍କୁ ସଂହାର କରିଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: कर्ता (Apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• लीलया: playfully
• लीलया: करण (Means/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अश्वमुखः: horse-faced (one)
• अश्वमुखः: कर्ता/प्रेडिकेट-नाम (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वस्य मुखम् यस्य/अश्वमुखः)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject of जातः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• जातः: born
• जातः: क्रिया/प्रेडिकेट (Predicate: was born)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• यादवे: in the Yādava
• यादवे: विशेषण (Qualifier of वंशे)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

• वंशे: lineage
• वंशे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पूतना-शकट-आदिकम्: Pūtanā, the cart (demon), and others
• पूतना-शकट-आदिकम्: कर्म (Object; implied: defeated etc.)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूतना + शकट + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (पूतना च शकटं च आदयः च)

Speaker

Narrator/Questioner within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya (contextual inquiry)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional narrator marvels: the playful God who destroyed Pūtanā and the cart-demon is questioned—how did he appear horse-faced? Visual juxtaposition of infant Kṛṣṇa līlā with a radiant Hayānana/Hayagrīva-like visage.

Characters & Entities

• Hayānana (Aśvamukha)
• Yādava lineage
• Pūtanā
• Śakaṭāsura
• Kṛṣṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s forms are līlā: the same supreme divinity manifests diverse appearances to accomplish protection and restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse transitions within Dharmāraṇya’s narrative to theological inquiry; the site-context remains Dharmāraṇya rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a doctrinal question about divine manifestation (avatāra/līlā).