Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अनित्यनित्यरूपाय सदसत्पतये नमः । नमस्ते भक्तकृपया स्वेच्छावि ष्कृतविग्रह

Transliteration

anityanityarūpāya sadasatpataye namaḥ | namaste bhaktakṛpayā svecchāvi ṣkṛtavigraha

Translation

Verehrung Dir, der Du als Vergängliches und Unvergängliches erscheinst, Herr über Sein und Nichtsein. Verehrung Dir, der Du aus Erbarmen mit den Verehrern aus freiem Willen eine Gestalt offenbarst.

Word by Word

• anitya: impermanent
• anitya: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• nitya: eternal
• nitya: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• rūpāya: to the form
• rūpāya: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• anityanityarūpāya: to the one whose form is both impermanent and eternal
• anityanityarūpāya: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anitya + nitya + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘अनित्य-नित्य-रूप’ = having forms (as) impermanent and eternal

• sat: being; existent
• sat: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• asat: non-being; non-existent
• asat: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• pataye: to the lord
• pataye: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• sadasatpataye: to the lord of the existent and non-existent
• sadasatpataye: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + asat + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः: ‘सत्-असत्-पति’ = lord of being and non-being

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः (salutation)

• namas: salutation
• namas: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः (salutation)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namaste: salutations to you
• namaste: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas + te (अव्यय + सर्वनाम)
• Form: सन्धि-रूपम्; ‘नमस् ते’ (salutation to you)

• bhakta: devotee
• bhakta: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• kṛpayā: by compassion
• kṛpayā: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• bhaktakṛpayā: by compassion for devotees
• bhaktakṛpayā: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta + kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘भक्त-कृपा’ = compassion (towards/for) devotees

• sva: own
• sva: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• icchā: will; desire
• icchā: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• viṣkṛta: manifested; made visible
• viṣkṛta: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣ + kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → viṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• vigraha: embodied form
• vigraha: Sambodhana (addressed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः (vocative sense possible)

• svecchāviṣkṛtavigraha: O you whose form is manifested by your own will
• svecchāviṣkṛtavigraha: Sambodhana (addressed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + icchā + viṣkṛta + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: ‘स्वेच्छया अविष्कृतः विग्रहः यस्य सः’ = he whose form is manifested by his own will

Speaker

Unspecified (Devotional eulogy within Dharmāraṇya narrative; likely a sage or narrator-voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formless radiance (nirākāra) condenses into a chosen divine form (svecchā-viṣkṛta-vigraha) as devotees look on; the scene balances transcendence and approachable iconography.

Characters & Entities

• Bhaktas (Devotees)
• Sad-Asat
• Divine Manifest Form (Vigraha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is both transcendent and accessible: beyond change, yet willingly taking a worshipable form out of mercy for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No distinct tīrtha is named; the verse supports pilgrimage devotion by legitimizing deity-form worship encountered at sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is described; the implication is devotional worship (pūjā) of the manifested vigraha with gratitude.