Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ममैवयं कृतिर्देवा भवतां यद्वडम्बना । यद्वैराजशरीरे मे भवन्तो बाहुसंज्ञकाः

Transliteration

mamaivayaṃ kṛtirdevā bhavatāṃ yadvaḍambanā | yadvairājaśarīre me bhavanto bāhusaṃjñakāḥ

Translation

O Devas, diese eure Erniedrigung ist wahrlich mein Werk; denn in meinem kosmischen (Vairāja) Leib seid ihr als meine „Arme“ bekannt.

Word by Word

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad? (न) → asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम (अस्मद्); षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (only/indeed)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• kṛtiḥ: creation, act, deed
• kṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• devāḥ: O gods
• devāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• bhavatām: of you (all)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-आदरार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• yat: which, that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (relative ‘which/that’)

• vaḍambanā: deception, delusion
• vaḍambanā: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaḍambanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• yat: in which
• yat: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (locative relative: ‘in which/wherein’)

• vairāja-śarīre: in the cosmic (Vairāja) body
• vairāja-śarīre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vairāja (प्रातिपदिक) + śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: विराजस्य/वैराजस्य शरीरम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (enclitic)

• bhavantaḥ: you (all)
• bhavantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-आदरार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• bāhu-saṃjñakāḥ: called ‘arms’
• bāhu-saṃjñakāḥ: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: बाहु-संज्ञा यस्य/येषां ते); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

Speaker

Virañci (Brahmā)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā explains the devas’ humiliation as his own act, revealing them as his arms within the Vairāja body. Visualize a semi-transparent cosmic form behind Brahmā, with devas positioned at the arm-regions, indicating their functional identity.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Vairāja (Virāṭ cosmic body)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is interlinked: beings function as limbs of a greater whole; disturbance in one part reflects a deeper imbalance in the cosmic arrangement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is cosmological (Vairāja-śarīra) rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an explanatory statement about cosmic identity and responsibility.