Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

विरंचिविष्णुप्रसमुखाः सोमेंद्रप्रमुखास्तथा । सर्वज्ञास्तेऽपि मुह्यति गणनास्मादृशं च का

Transliteration

viraṃciviṣṇuprasamukhāḥ someṃdrapramukhāstathā | sarvajñāste'pi muhyati gaṇanāsmādṛśaṃ ca kā

Translation

பிரமா-விஷ்ணு முதலியோர், சோமன்-இந்திரன் முதலியோரும்—சர்வஞ்ஞர் எனப் புகழப்பட்டாலும்—மயக்கத்தில் அகப்படுகின்றனர்; அப்படியிருக்க நம்மைப் போன்றோரின் கணக்கு என்ன?

Word by Word

• विरंचिविष्णुप्रसमुखाः: those headed by Virāñci (Brahmā) and Viṣṇu
• विरंचिविष्णुप्रसमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरञ्चि (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र (उपसर्ग) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (विरञ्चि-विष्णु-प्रमुखाः = whose foremost are Virāñci and Viṣṇu)

• सोमेन्द्रप्रमुखाः: those headed by Soma and Indra
• सोमेन्द्रप्रमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सोम-इन्द्र-प्रमुखाः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक अव्यय (and likewise)

• सर्वज्ञाः: all-knowing
• सर्वज्ञाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ते)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-अव्यय (even/also)

• मुह्यति: is deluded
• मुह्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गणना: reckoning, counting
• गणना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्मादृशम्: like us
• अस्मादृशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (किम्/का implied)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• का: what (is it?)
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

Speaker

Yājñavalkya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) the audience; statement voiced by Yājñavalkya in the narrated exchange

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: Brahmā and Viṣṇu in the foreground, Soma and Indra nearby, all with slightly clouded expressions, as if a veil of moha passes over; a small human sage silhouette emphasizes scale and humility.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Soma
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If even great deities can be deluded, humans should abandon pride and cultivate humility and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse emphasizes a universal dharmic attitude.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it encourages inner purification—humility and clarity—rather than an external ritual.