Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अत ऊर्ध्वच्छदे मायां सह लक्ष्म्या शिवेन च

Transliteration

ata ūrdhvacchade māyāṃ saha lakṣmyā śivena ca

Translation

Darüber, auf der oberen Bedeckung, setze man Māyā, zusammen mit Lakṣmī und Śiva.

Word by Word

• अतः: thereafter / therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अनन्तरार्थे अव्यय (thereafter/therefore)

• ऊर्ध्व-च्छदे: in the upper covering/layer
• ऊर्ध्व-च्छदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + छद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; ‘ऊर्ध्वच्छदे’ = ऊर्ध्वच्छद-स्थाने/ऊर्ध्वच्छदे (upper covering/upper layer)

• मायाम्: Māyā
• मायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable); तृतीयया सह प्रयोगः

• लक्ष्म्या: with Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्म्या: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (सह/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शिवेन: with Śiva
• शिवेन: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (सह/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Narratorial/Instructional voice (maṇḍala layering instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiered maṇḍala: below are pīṭhas; above, a canopy-like band where Māyā is visualized as a veiling radiance, flanked by Lakṣmī (lotus, gold) and Śiva (ash-white, crescent moon).

Characters & Entities

• Māyā
• Lakṣmī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine powers of manifestation and prosperity are integrated under Śiva’s supremacy within ritual cosmology.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; this is a technical placement instruction within pūjā-vidhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place/install Māyā on the upper covering layer, along with Lakṣmī and Śiva.