Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मतेजोभवं भूतमनिवार्यं दुरासदम् । न च शक्नोम्यहं त्रातुं राजा वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

brahmatejobhavaṃ bhūtamanivāryaṃ durāsadam | na ca śaknomyahaṃ trātuṃ rājā vacanamabravīt

Translation

Der König erwiderte: »Dieses Wesen ist aus Brahmās flammendem Tejas geboren, unwiderstehlich und uneinnehmbar. Ich vermag dich nicht zu retten.«

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मतेजोभवम्: born of Brahma’s radiance
• ब्रह्मतेजोभवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः तेजः → ब्रह्मतेजः; तस्मात् भवः → ब्रह्मतेजोभवः)

• भूतम्: a being
• भूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनिवार्यम्: irresistible, unavoidable
• अनिवार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; न-प्रत्ययेन निषेधः

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach/assail
• दुरासदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

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

• शक्नोमि: I am able
• शक्नोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• त्रातुम्: to protect/save
• त्रातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक-अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वचनम्: words, statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत/imperf.), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Janaka (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) region context (Revākhaṇḍa frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in court, grave and restrained, speaks to a frightened supplicant; behind them an unseen, radiant ‘brahma-tejas’-born being is implied as an unstoppable threat.

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• Brahmā
• Mahābhūta
• Yājñavalkya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Brahmatejas (spiritual potency) and the consequences of sacred law can exceed political authority; dharma is ultimately upheld by higher cosmic powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative and does not name a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on the metaphysical source and irresistibility of the being.