Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

एतत्सर्वमहं ध्याना ज्जानामीह मृगाधिप । इत्युक्ते ध्यानकाष्ठेन त्यक्त्वा सिंहत्वमाशु सः

Transliteration

etatsarvamahaṃ dhyānā jjānāmīha mṛgādhipa | ityukte dhyānakāṣṭhena tyaktvā siṃhatvamāśu saḥ

Translation

„O Herr der Tiere, durch Meditation erkenne ich all dies hier.“ Als Dhyānakāṣṭha so gesprochen hatte, legte er (der Löwe) sogleich die Löwengestalt ab.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; एतत्-विशेषण

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्यानात्: from meditation; by meditation
• ध्यानात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; कारणार्थे (from/through meditation)

• जानामि: I know
• जानामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• मृगाधिप: O lord of beasts
• मृगाधिप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मृगाणाम् अधिपः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• उक्ते: when (this) was said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Temporal locus)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → उक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सति-सप्तमी (when it was said)

• ध्यानकाष्ठेन: with the meditation-stick (a piece of wood used in meditation/penance)
• ध्यानकाष्ठेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ध्यानस्य काष्ठम्/ध्यानकाष्ठम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having abandoned)

• सिंहत्वम्: lionhood
• सिंहत्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित) → सिंहत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/रीति-वाचक-अव्यय (quickly)

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

Speaker

Dhyānakāṣṭha (addressing the lion)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer audience (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage Dhyānakāṣṭha, radiant with meditative insight, speaks; the lion’s body dissolves into light and re-forms as a yakṣa/celestial attendant, now humble and relieved.

Characters & Entities

• Dhyānakāṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditative insight (dhyāna-jñāna) grants clarity into karmic causes, and a saint’s truth can catalyze transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly within Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred setting; this verse highlights spiritual power rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is implied as a spiritual discipline, but no formal rite is prescribed.