Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

गतवान्ब्रह्मणो लोकं तत्रापश्यं पितामहम् । स हि राजर्षिदेवर्षिमूर्तामूर्तैः सुसंवृतः

Transliteration

gatavānbrahmaṇo lokaṃ tatrāpaśyaṃ pitāmaham | sa hi rājarṣidevarṣimūrtāmūrtaiḥ susaṃvṛtaḥ

Translation

„Ich gelangte in die Welt Brahmās, und dort erblickte ich den Großvater der Wesen (Pitāmaha). Wahrlich, er war umgeben von Königssehern und göttlichen Sehern—von Wesen mit Gestalt und ohne Gestalt.“

Word by Word

• गतवान्: having gone
• गतवान्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (Perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लोकम्: world, realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितामहम्: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• राजर्षि-देवर्षि-मूर्त-अमूर्तैः: by royal sages, divine sages, embodied and unembodied (beings)
• राजर्षि-देवर्षि-मूर्त-अमूर्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + देवर्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अमूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• सु-संवृतः: well surrounded
• सु-संवृतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + सम् + वृ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (संवृत = surrounded/covered), सु- उपपद (well)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmaloka (as cosmic tīrtha-like locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Brahmaloka court: Brahmā seated, surrounded by rājārṣis and devarṣis; some appear as luminous forms without bodies, others as ascetics and kings with matted hair and crowns.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Rājarṣis
• Devarṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teachings are situated within a cosmic, sage-filled tradition, emphasizing continuity of sacred knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse shifts to Brahmaloka as narrative setting; the earthly tīrtha-māhātmya is still forthcoming.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive cosmological narration.