Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दशोत्तरेण पयसा वृतं तच्चापि तेजसा । तेजश्च वायुना वायुर्नभ साहंतया च तत्

Transliteration

daśottareṇa payasā vṛtaṃ taccāpi tejasā | tejaśca vāyunā vāyurnabha sāhaṃtayā ca tat

Translation

ذلك الغلاف مكسوٌّ بالماء بما يزيد عليه عشرة أضعاف، ثم يُكسى الماءُ بالنار (تيجَس). وتُحاط النارُ بالريح، وتُحاط الريحُ بالفضاء—وكلُّ طبقةٍ تفوق التي قبلها بعشرة أضعاف.

Word by Word

• दशोत्तरेण: by the tenfold (layer)
• दशोत्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशोत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं (प्रयोगे साधारणतया), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular); समासः—दश + उत्तर (तत्पुरुष: ‘ten-fold/ten plus’)

• पयसा: by water
• पयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• वृतम्: covered
• वृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (तत्/ब्रह्माण्डम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थे/समुच्चये (also/even)

• तेजसा: by fire/energy (tejas)
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• तेजः: fire/energy
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

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

• वायुना: by wind
• वायुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नभः: sky/ether
• नभः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• साहन्तया: by (its) sustaining force/endurance
• साहन्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular); पाठभेदसम्भवः—‘सहन्तया/सहन्त्या’ इति (by endurance/force)

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

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Concentric translucent layers around the cosmic egg: an oceanic ring (water), a blazing aureole (fire), a swirling current (wind), and a vast clear dome (space), each larger than the last, marked with subtle ‘tenfold’ scale cues.

Characters & Entities

• Water (payas)
• Tejas (fire)
• Vāyu (wind)
• Nabhas (space/ether)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Manifest reality is layered and graduated; contemplating the elemental sheaths encourages detachment and insight into what lies beyond the elements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the content is cosmological (elemental enclosures).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.