Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तथा कस्मादिदं सृष्टं जडं विश्वं चिदात्मना । एवं यद्बहुधा क्लेशः पीड्यते हा कुतस्त्विदम्

Transliteration

tathā kasmādidaṃ sṛṣṭaṃ jaḍaṃ viśvaṃ cidātmanā | evaṃ yadbahudhā kleśaḥ pīḍyate hā kutastvidam

Translation

Und weiter: Warum wurde dieses träge, unbelebte Weltall vom bewussten Selbst (Ātman) erschaffen? Warum wird Leid in so vielen Gestalten auferlegt — ach — woher ist all dies entstanden?

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: “thus/so”)

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सृष्टम्: created
• सृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle): नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “created” (predicate adjective)

• जडम्: inert
• जडम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of इदम्/विश्वम्)

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चिदात्मना: by the consciousness-self
• चिदात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित् (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थ: “चिदेव आत्मा यस्य/चिदात्मा”; करण (instrument/agentive means)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (relative pronoun), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/बहुत्वार्थक-अव्यय (in many ways)

• क्लेशः: affliction
• क्लेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पीड्यते: is inflicted/torments
• पीड्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• हा: alas!
• हा: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/शोकार्थक-निपात (exclamation)

• कुतः: from where/why
• कुतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय/प्रश्नार्थ)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (from where?/why?)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified questioner (metaphysical problem of evil/suffering before the teaching reply)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: luminous Conscious Self above, below an inert universe of elements; beings caught in nets of kleśa; the question ‘kutas?’ visualized as a scroll emerging from the seeker’s mouth toward the cosmic light.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It raises the deep question of creation: how consciousness relates to an inert world and pervasive suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is indicated; the verse is philosophical groundwork for a doctrinal explanation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal question that invites a cosmological answer.