Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

एकविंशतिलक्षाणि एकैकस्य च योनयः । कुरु त्वं सकलं चाशु इत्युक्त्वांतरधीयत । ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं सर्वं ब्रह्मांडं च यथोदितम्

Transliteration

ekaviṃśatilakṣāṇi ekaikasya ca yonayaḥ | kuru tvaṃ sakalaṃ cāśu ityuktvāṃtaradhīyata | brahmaṇā nirmitaṃ sarvaṃ brahmāṃḍaṃ ca yathoditam

Translation

„Für jede (Gruppe) gibt es einundzwanzig Lakhs an Geburten. Erschaffe dies alles unverzüglich.“ Nachdem der Herr so gesprochen hatte, verschwand er. So gestaltete Brahmā alles, und das kosmische Ei entstand, wie es verkündet worden war.

Word by Word

• एकविंशति-लक्षाणि: twenty-one lakhs
• एकविंशति-लक्षाणि: Karma/Prameya (Counted total)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु (एकविंशतिः लक्षाणि)

• एकैकस्य: of each (one)
• एकैकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-सम्बन्धे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (एकः च एकः → each one)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• योनयः: species / wombs
• योनयः: Karta (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुरु: make
• कुरु: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सकलम्: the whole (of it)
• सकलम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वम् इत्यर्थे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/वेगार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having said

• अन्तर्धीयत: disappeared
• अन्तर्धीयत: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर् + धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातु: धा (to place) with उपसर्ग अन्तर् → to disappear

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्मितम्: created
• निर्मितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मा (धातु) → निर्मित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma/Visheya (That which is created)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the cosmic egg (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma/Apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/अनुरूपार्थक-अव्यय (as/according as)

• उदितम्: as stated / as spoken
• उदितम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + इ (धातु) → उदित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वं/ब्रह्माण्डम्)

Speaker

Śrī Viṣṇu (first half), Narrator (closing statement of completion)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu finishes the instruction and vanishes into radiance; Brahmā, energized, rapidly manifests the ordered cosmos—countless life-forms implied by swirling patterns and emerging landscapes within the cosmic egg.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (implied)
• Brahmā
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance initiates, and disciplined execution completes; cosmic order arises when instruction (śruti-like command) is followed faithfully.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised; the verse focuses on universal creation and the doctrine of many births.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it gives a cosmological count and command to create rather than a ritual.