Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सप्तमं पिचुनामेति सप्तैवं वदनानि मे । तेभ्योऽजं ब्रह्मणे दत्तं पिचुवक्त्रं तु विष्णवे

Transliteration

saptamaṃ picunāmeti saptaivaṃ vadanāni me | tebhyo'jaṃ brahmaṇe dattaṃ picuvaktraṃ tu viṣṇave

Translation

พระพักตร์ที่เจ็ดมีนามว่า ‘ปิจุ’—ดังนี้เราจึงมีพระพักตร์เจ็ดประการ ในบรรดานั้น พระพักตร์ ‘อชะ’ ได้มอบแก่พระพรหม และพระพักตร์ ‘ปิจุ’ แด่พระวิษณุ

Word by Word

• सप्तमम्: the seventh
• सप्तमम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (क्रमवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• पिचु: Picu (name)
• पिचु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिचु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (as a name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः (numeral)

• एवम्: thus; in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• वदनानि: faces
• वदनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• तेभ्यः: from them
• तेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-बहुवचन (Ablative, Plural)

• अजम्: Aja (Brahmā)
• अजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ब्रह्मणे: to Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular)

• दत्तम्: was given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → दत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• पिचुवक्त्रम्: the Picu-face (named Picu)
• पिचुवक्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिचु (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: व्यतिरेक/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (but; however)

• विष्णवे: to Viṣṇu
• विष्णवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (implied, addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with seven faces; two faces (Aja and Picu) are shown as luminous emanations moving toward Brahmā and Viṣṇu respectively, indicating bestowal; Devī witnesses the cosmic transfer.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Picu
• Aja
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic roles arise from a unified divine source, showing harmony among the deities in sustaining creation and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya frames these theological accounts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is doctrinal and genealogical within the sacred-place narrative.