Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

रत्नगर्भा धृता येन पृष्ठदेशे च लीलया । कृत्या व्यवस्थितं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजंगमम्

Transliteration

ratnagarbhā dhṛtā yena pṛṣṭhadeśe ca līlayā | kṛtyā vyavasthitaṃ sarvaṃ jagatsthāvarajaṃgamam

Translation

Durch Ihn wurde, im göttlichen Spiel, die juwelentragende Erde auf Seinem Rücken getragen; und durch Seine verordnende Macht steht die ganze Welt—beweglich und unbeweglich—geordnet an ihrem rechten Platz.

Word by Word

• रत्नगर्भा: she who contains jewels (the earth)
• रत्नगर्भा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (रत्नं गर्भे यस्याः सा)

• धृता: was held, was supported
• धृता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मणि

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• पृष्ठदेशे: on (his) back-region
• पृष्ठदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पृष्ठस्य देशे)

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

• लीलया: playfully, as a sport
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• कृत्या: by (his) act/deed
• कृत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक (by action/agency)

• व्यवस्थितम्: was arranged/established
• व्यवस्थितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मणि

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• स्थावरजङ्गमम्: (consisting of) immobile and mobile beings
• स्थावरजङ्गमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्थावरं च जङ्गमं च) जगतः विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord bears the jewel-like Earth upon His back ‘in play’; the world of moving and unmoving beings is arranged in harmonious tiers—mountains, forests, rivers, cities—suggesting a cosmic mandala of order.

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Pṛthivī, implied by ratnagarbhā)
• Jagat (moving and unmoving beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The universe is sustained by divine līlā and divine order; stability in creation reflects the Lord’s governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse is a cosmological praise within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes divine support and the ordering of creation rather than a specific ritual act.