Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आत्मास्य कथितो ब्रह्मा व्यभजत्स त्रिधा त्विदम् । ऊर्ध्वं तत्र स्थिता देवा मध्ये चैव च मानवाः

Transliteration

ātmāsya kathito brahmā vyabhajatsa tridhā tvidam | ūrdhvaṃ tatra sthitā devā madhye caiva ca mānavāḥ

Translation

Brahmā—als ātman, als belebendes Prinzip dieses Ganzen bezeichnet—teilte daraufhin diesen Kosmos dreifach. Oben wurden die Götter eingesetzt; und in der Mitte, wahrlich, die Menschen.

Word by Word

• ātmā: the Self
• ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• kathitaḥ: described, spoken of
• kathitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kath (धातु) → kathita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; brahmā इति विशेषण

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vyabhajat: divided
• vyabhajat: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vibhaj (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tridhā: into three (ways/parts)
• tridhā: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tridhā (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in three parts)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• idam: this (world/egg)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ūrdhvam: above, upwards
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: upwards/above)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• sthitāḥ: situated, stationed
• sthitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; devāḥ इति विशेषण

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (स्थानवाचक)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic/limiting particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• mānavāḥ: humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmic diagram: upper realm with devas in luminous palaces, middle realm with humans and sacred rivers/temples, lower realm hinted beneath; Brahmā as organizer at the center.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Mānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is positioned within a divinely ordered cosmos—encouraging responsible dharma in the ‘middle realm’ between higher and lower states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.