Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

चतुर्मुखेन वैलक्ष्यं गतोऽस्मि कथमेमि तम् । इतीदमुक्त्वा दूतं तं श्रृण्वतोऽस्यैव विस्मयात्

Transliteration

caturmukhena vailakṣyaṃ gato'smi kathamemi tam | itīdamuktvā dūtaṃ taṃ śrṛṇvato'syaiva vismayāt

Translation

“เราละอายต่อพระพรหมผู้มีสี่พักตร์แล้ว เราจะไปสวรรค์นั้นได้อย่างไร?” ครั้นตรัสดังนี้ ขณะทูตกำลังฟังอยู่ พระราชาก็ยังนิ่งตะลึงและครุ่นคิดด้วยความพิศวง

Word by Word

• चतुर्मुखेन: by the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्मुखेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्मुख (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + मुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन/करणार्थे (instrumental)

• वैलक्ष्यम्: embarrassment, awkwardness
• वैलक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैलक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• गतः: gone, having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘अस्मि’ सह (periphrastic perfect sense)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एमि: shall I go / do I go
• एमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• इदम्: this (speech)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• दूतम्: the messenger
• दूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण ‘दूतम्’ प्रति

• शृण्वतः: of (him) who was listening
• शृण्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘अस्य’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विस्मयात्: from astonishment
• विस्मयात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Indradyumna (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, slightly bowed, speaks to a celestial messenger; his face shows shame and wonder, as if turning away from a radiant path to heaven and inward toward contemplation.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Caturmukha (Brahmā)
• Devadūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and moral conscience restrain the pursuit of status; inner integrity is valued over celestial attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative and ethical reflection.