Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

पूर्वार्धमपरार्धं च ब्रह्ममानमिदं स्मृतम् । विष्णोश्च शंकरस्यापि नाहं शक्तश्च वर्णने

Transliteration

pūrvārdhamaparārdhaṃ ca brahmamānamidaṃ smṛtam | viṣṇośca śaṃkarasyāpi nāhaṃ śaktaśca varṇane

Translation

Die frühere Hälfte und die spätere Hälfte—dies gilt als das Maß Brahmās (brahma-māna). Selbst von Viṣṇu und von Śaṅkara vermag ich ihr Maß und ihre Herrlichkeit nicht vollständig zu schildern.

Word by Word

• पूर्वार्धम्: the first half
• पूर्वार्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पूर्वम् अर्धम्)

• अपरार्धम्: the latter half
• अपरार्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अपरम् अर्धम्)

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

• ब्रह्ममानम्: the measure of Brahmā (brahma-measure)
• ब्रह्ममानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + मान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः मानम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is declared/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘is said/remembered’

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

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

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कार (particle: also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

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

• शक्तः: able
• शक्तः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (able/capable)

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

• वर्णने: in describing
• वर्णने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Māheśvara Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/disciples (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator bows with folded hands before an immeasurable radiance where Viṣṇu and Śaṅkara are suggested as infinite forms; a split diagram labeled pūrvārdha/aparārdha fades into boundless light.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine reality exceeds complete verbal description; humility before the immeasurable is itself a mark of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse discusses cosmic measures and divine incomparability.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about measure and the limits of description.