Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अवतीर्णस्य भूपृष्ठे देवकार्येण केनचित् । वाजिवक्त्रधरा प्रोक्ता यद्येषा मम कांतया

Transliteration

avatīrṇasya bhūpṛṣṭhe devakāryeṇa kenacit | vājivaktradharā proktā yadyeṣā mama kāṃtayā

Translation

เมื่อเราลงอวตารสู่พื้นพิภพด้วยเหตุแห่งกิจของเทวะประการใด หากเพราะนางผู้เป็นที่รักของเรา นางนี้ถูกกล่าวว่า ‘ผู้ทรงพักตร์ม้า’…

Word by Word

• अवतीर्णस्य: of (one) descended/incarnated
• अवतीर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तः (PPP) ‘अवतीर्ण’; पुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (कस्य? अवतीर्णस्य); English: genitive singular participle

• भूपृष्ठे: on the earth’s surface
• भूपृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूः पृष्ठम्); English: locative singular

• देवकार्येण: by/for a divine task
• देवकार्येण: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/हेतु), एकवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां कार्यम्); English: instrumental singular

• केनचित्: by someone; by some (means)
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अनिश्चितार्थकः (‘some’); English: instrumental singular ‘by someone/something’

• वाजिवक्त्रधरा: she who bears a horse-face
• वाजिवक्त्रधरा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि + वक्त्र + धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः (वाजेः वक्त्रम्) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + धरा ‘धारयन्ती’ इति; समस्तं ‘वाजिवक्त्रं धरति’ (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहिसदृशः), व्यवहारतः तत्पुरुषः; English: fem. nom. sg

• प्रोक्ता: is called; was said
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तः (PPP) ‘प्रोक्त’; स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: PPP, fem. nom. sg ‘is said/called’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-सम्बन्धक-अव्ययम्; English: conditional conjunction

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: nominative singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: genitive singular

• कान्तया: by (my) beloved/wife
• कान्तया: Karana (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), एकवचनम्; English: instrumental singular

Speaker

Keśava/Divine figure (continuing first-person narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord speaks of his descent to earth for a divine mission, explaining that the ‘horse-faced’ description arises due to connection with his beloved—hinting at a hidden backstory.

Characters & Entities

• avatāra (descent)
• devakārya (divine mission)
• kāntā (beloved/consort)
• vājivaktradharā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often link bodily marks and epithets to divine missions and karmic causality, framing suffering within a larger sacred purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identifiable from this single verse; it is embedded in a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides mythic explanation and conditional statement.