Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । येनाक्रांता मही सर्वा क्रमेणैकेन तत्त्वतः । विवरे विवरे रोम्णां वर्तंते च पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | yenākrāṃtā mahī sarvā krameṇaikena tattvataḥ | vivare vivare romṇāṃ vartaṃte ca pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: Er, durch den die ganze Erde wahrhaftig mit einem einzigen Schritt durchdrungen wurde—in jeder Pore Seines Haares, in jeder kleinsten Öffnung, bestehen sie getrennt, jedes für sich (Welten in Welten).

Word by Word

• yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: Yudhiṣṭhira
• yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• yena: by whom/with which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• ākrāntā: was overstepped/covered
• ākrāntā: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-kram (आक्रम् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), कर्मणि; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (मही इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• mahī: the earth
• mahī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarvā: entire
• sarvā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (मही-विशेषण)

• krameṇa: stepwise/by a stride
• krameṇa: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (रीत्या/क्रमेण)

• ekena: with one (step)
• ekena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• tattvataḥ: in truth
• tattvataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tattvataḥ (अव्यय; तत्त्व + तस्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (adverb: truly/in reality)

• vivare: in (each) hole/opening
• vivare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• vivare: in every opening
• vivare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति-बल)

• romṇām: of the hairs (pores)
• romṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roman (रोमन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• vartante: exist/are present
• vartante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (वृत् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: separately)

• pṛthak: each apart
• pṛthak: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति-बल)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira’s awe-filled inquiry: Trivikrama Viṣṇu with one stride spanning the earth; close-up visionary detail of countless worlds shimmering within each pore of His hair—microcosm within macrocosm.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Viṣṇu (implied as the cosmic strider)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s greatness is immeasurable: creation is contained within Him, inspiring humility and surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya by framing the region’s stories within the Lord’s cosmic supremacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological/cosmological inquiry.