Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो वचनात्तेन विधिशेषोऽवशेषितः । चरुप्राशनकाले तु पंचवक्त्रप्रकाशकृत्

Transliteration

brahmaṇo vacanāttena vidhiśeṣo'vaśeṣitaḥ | caruprāśanakāle tu paṃcavaktraprakāśakṛt

Translation

ब्रह्मणो वचनात् तेन विधिशेषोऽवशेषितः। चरुप्राशनकाले तु स पञ्चवक्त्रप्रभां प्राकाशयत्॥

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वचनात्: from (because of) the word/command
• वचनात्: Apādāna/Hetu (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन

• विधिशेषः: the remainder of the rite
• विधिशेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अवशेषितः: was left/was remaining
• अवशेषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-√शिष् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(विधिशेषः) अवशेषितः’

• चरुप्राशनकाले: at the time of eating the sacrificial porridge
• चरुप्राशनकाले: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरु + प्राशन + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• पञ्चवक्त्रप्रकाशकृत्: the one who made the five faces manifest
• पञ्चवक्त्रप्रकाशकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + वक्त्र + प्रकाश + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पञ्चवक्त्रस्य प्रकाशं करोति’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Deductive (narrator in Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the caru-prāśana moment, Śiva suddenly manifests the radiant pañcavaktra—five faces shining in different directions—while Brahmā directs the remaining ritual details; the assembly is stunned in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva (five-faced)
• Caru (ritual food/oblation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order and divine mystery coexist: śāstra-guided action culminates in direct manifestation of the Lord’s form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it highlights ritual completion and divine revelation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Completion of remaining ritual steps under Brahmā’s direction and caru-prāśana (eating of consecrated caru) are indicated.