Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पिता सोमस्य भो विप्र जज्ञेऽत्रिर्भगवानृषिः । ब्रह्मणो मानसात्पूर्वं प्रजासर्गं विधित्सतः

Transliteration

pitā somasya bho vipra jajñe'trirbhagavānṛṣiḥ | brahmaṇo mānasātpūrvaṃ prajāsargaṃ vidhitsataḥ

Translation

হে বিপ্র! সোমের পিতা হলেন ভগবান ঋষি অত্রি। ব্রহ্মা যখন প্রজাসৃষ্টি আরম্ভ করতে ইচ্ছা করলেন, তখন তিনি পূর্বে তাঁর মানস থেকে জন্ম নিলেন।

Word by Word

• pitā: father
• pitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• somasya: of Soma (the Moon)
• somasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• vipra: O brāhmaṇa
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• jajñe: was born/arose
• jajñe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• atriḥ: Atri
• atriḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhagavān: venerable, blessed
• bhagavān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• ṛṣiḥ: sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā/of Brahman
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• mānasāt: from the mind (mental)
• mānasāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (source)

• pūrvam: formerly, before
• pūrvam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• prajāsargam: creation of creatures
• prajāsargam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā + sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vidhitsataḥ: of (him) desiring to create/ordain
• vidhitsataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + dhā (धातु) + san (सन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: सन्-प्रत्ययान्त धातु-विशेष (desiderative stem), शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Viṣṇugaṇas (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atri, serene and radiant, emerges as a mind-born sage from Brahmā’s contemplation; the lineage to Soma is implied, with lunar symbolism hovering above.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Atri
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology links celestial powers to ṛṣi-lineages and Brahmā’s creative intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a site-specific verse; it supports the Somaloka episode within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides genealogical-cosmological information about Soma’s origin.