Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

यो विधाता विधातुश्च कारणस्यापि कारणम् । तेजसां परमं तेजः स शिवो नः परा गतिः

Transliteration

yo vidhātā vidhātuśca kāraṇasyāpi kāraṇam | tejasāṃ paramaṃ tejaḥ sa śivo naḥ parā gatiḥ

Translation

Er ist der Ordner und der Ordner des Ordners, die Ursache selbst der Ursachen; das höchste Leuchten unter allen Lichtern. Dieser Śiva ist unser höchstes Ziel.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘who’

• vidhātā: the creator, ordainer
• vidhātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi+dhā (धातु) + तृ (कर्तृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तृवाचक-तृन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vidhātuḥ: of the creator
• vidhātuḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi+dhā (धातु) + तृ (कर्तृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — ‘of the creator/ordainer’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kāraṇasya: of the cause
• kāraṇasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — ‘of the cause’

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: emphasis/also)

• kāraṇam: the cause
• kāraṇam: Pradhāna (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — विधेय (predicate nominative)

• tejasām: of all splendors
• tejasām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), नपुंसकलिङ्ग — ‘of lights/energies’

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषण

• tejaḥ: splendor, radiance
• tejaḥ: Pradhāna (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — विधेय

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — समानाधिकरण (apposition with saḥ)

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘of us/our’

• parā: supreme
• parā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा, एकवचन — विशेषण (of gatiḥ)

• gatiḥ: refuge, goal
• gatiḥ: Pradhāna (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Rājaputra (continuing reply)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aniconic emphasis: a vast column/orb of light (jyoti) representing Śiva as supreme radiance; beneath it, Brahmā and other ‘ordiners’ appear small, indicating ‘ordainer of the ordainer’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is presented as the ultimate metaphysical ground—beyond all secondary causes—and thus the supreme goal (parā gati).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred place is referenced; the glorification is of Śiva as the highest refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is doctrinal praise pointing toward liberation-oriented devotion.