Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य योगात्मा स प्रजापतिः । शेते युगसहस्रान्तं कालमाविश्य सार्णवम्

Transliteration

prakṛtiṃ svāmavaṣṭabhya yogātmā sa prajāpatiḥ | śete yugasahasrāntaṃ kālamāviśya sārṇavam

Translation

Indem Er Seine eigene Prakṛti (kosmische Natur) festhält, ruht jener Herr—dessen Wesen Yoga ist, der Prajāpati—im ozeanischen Flutmeer versunken, bis zum Ende von tausend Yugas.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतिम्: Prakṛti, primordial nature
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• स्वाम्: his own
• स्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘प्रकृतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• अवष्टभ्य: having supported
• अवष्टभ्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव + √स्तभ् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अवष्टभ्य)
• Form: ल्यबन्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund) — ‘having supported/held fast’

• योगात्मा: one whose nature is yoga
• योगात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘योगः आत्मा यस्य’ इत्यर्थे (yogic in essence)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रजापतिः: the Lord of creatures (Prajāpati)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘प्रजानां पतिः’

• शेते: lies/reposes
• शेते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शी (धातु) ; लट्
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• युगसहस्रान्तम्: till the end of a thousand yugas
• युगसहस्रान्तम्: Karma (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + सहस्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘युगसहस्रस्य अन्तम्’ (end of a thousand yugas)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणे कर्म

• आविश्य: having entered
• आविश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + √विश् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund) — ‘having entered/pervaded’

• सार्णवम्: oceanic/with the ocean
• सार्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘अर्णवेन सह’ (together with the ocean / oceanic) — ‘कालम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Deductive (Revākhaṇḍa narration; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener, with ‘rājan’ appearing later in the passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as the supreme yogin, serene and unmoving, with Prakṛti symbolized as a subtle veil or coiled energy at his side; the ocean-flood surrounds him while time-wheels fade into darkness, indicating ‘thousand-age’ repose.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The supreme Lord remains sovereign over Prakṛti and time itself, entering yogic stillness even through cosmic dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Revākhaṇḍa framework connected to Revā/Narmadā, though this particular line emphasizes cosmology rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the focus is on metaphysical description of yogic repose through pralaya.