Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

महासेनोऽपि संवीक्ष्य मातॄस्ताः समुपागताः । सोत्कण्ठः षण्मुखो जातो द्वादशाक्षभुजस्तथा

Transliteration

mahāseno'pi saṃvīkṣya mātṝstāḥ samupāgatāḥ | sotkaṇṭhaḥ ṣaṇmukho jāto dvādaśākṣabhujastathā

Translation

ਮਹਾਸੇਨ ਨੇ ਵੀ ਉਹ ਮਾਤਾਵਾਂ ਨੇੜੇ ਆਈਆਂ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ ਉਤਸੁਕ ਹੋਇਆ; ਤਦ ਉਹ ਛੇ ਮੁਖਾਂ ਵਾਲਾ ਜਨਮਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਉਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਬਾਰਾਂ ਭੁਜਾਂ ਵਾਲਾ ਵੀ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• महासेनः: Mahāsena (Kārttikeya)
• महासेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (महती सेना यस्य सः)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/‘also’)

• संवीक्ष्य: having looked at; having observed
• संवीक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्+वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• मातॄः: the mothers
• मातॄः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• समुपागताः: had come near; approached
• समुपागताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (ताः इति कर्तृसामानाधिकरण्ये)

• सोत्कण्ठः: eager; longing
• सोत्कण्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + उत्कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्कण्ठः सः)

• षण्मुखः: six-faced
• षण्मुखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (षण्णां मुखानां समाहारः/षड्मुखः)

• जातः: became; was born (as)
• जातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जात (जन् धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्वादशाक्षभुजः: having twelve eyes and arms
• द्वादशाक्षभुजः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + अक्ष + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्वादश अक्षाः/नेत्राणि यस्य; भुजाः यस्य—समाहार-निर्देशः)

• तथा: likewise; thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण: ‘thus/likewise’)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The newborn Mahāsena, seeing the assembled mothers, becomes Ṣaṇmukha—six faces blooming outward—and manifests twelve arms, conveying irresistible divine power and protective readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāsena (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Kṛttikā Mothers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity adapts form to relationship and dharma—Skanda’s many faces/arms signify readiness to receive and protect through multiple powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account remains embedded in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative; the verse emphasizes the miracle rather than the site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription appears in this verse.