Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

अहं सर्वाणि बीजानि प्राक्सन्ध्यासूदिते रवौ । एतद्वै कारणं सर्वं रहस्यं कथितं परम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ sarvāṇi bījāni prāksandhyāsūdite ravau | etadvai kāraṇaṃ sarvaṃ rahasyaṃ kathitaṃ param

Translation

„Ich bin alle Samen“, sprach Brahmā, „wenn die Sonne in der Morgendämmerung, noch vor dem vollen Aufgang, emporsteigt. Dies ist die Ursache von allem; dieses höchste Geheimnis ist verkündet.“

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बीजानि: seeds
• बीजानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• प्राक्: before
• प्राक्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time: 'before')

• सन्ध्या: at twilight
• सन्ध्या: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सूदिते: having risen
• सूदिते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सू (धातु) → सूदित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रवौ इति पुंलिङ्ग-सप्तमी-एकवचनानुसारं

• रवौ: when the sun (is)
• रवौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Topic (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रहस्यम्: secret
• रहस्यम्: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sandhyā-kāla (as sacred threshold) within Revā context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tapasvinī / Mahāvratā (ascetic lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the cusp of dawn, before sunrise, Brahmā reveals the ‘seed of all’ doctrine; the horizon glows faintly, a riverbank hermitage is still, and the listener sits in austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Bīja (seeds)
• Sandhyā (twilight)
• Ravi (sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All origination is rooted in a divine causal principle; contemplation of beginnings (bīja) refines spiritual insight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā setting continues as the sacred backdrop for revealing ‘parama-rahasya’ (supreme secret).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the mention of sandhyā suggests the sanctity of twilight practice, but it is not instructed here.