Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सर्वे ब्रह्मादयो देवाः कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ । रेतसा च जगत्सर्वं नष्टं स्थावरजंगमम्

Transliteration

sarve brahmādayo devāḥ kāryākāryavyavasthitau | retasā ca jagatsarvaṃ naṣṭaṃ sthāvarajaṃgamam

Translation

Alle Götter, beginnend mit Brahmā, standen ratlos da, was zu tun und was zu lassen sei; und durch jenen Samen wurde die ganze Welt, das Unbewegte wie das Bewegte, ins Verderben gestürzt.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• ब्रह्म-आदयः: beginning with Brahmā
• ब्रह्म-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मा आदिः येषाम् = beginning with Brahmā)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• कार्य-अकार्य-व्यवस्थितौ: occupied with (deciding) duty and non-duty
• कार्य-अकार्य-व्यवस्थितौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यवस्थित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (कार्ये अकार्ये च व्यवस्थितौ = engaged in deciding what is to be done/not done); agreeing with implied ‘द्वौ’ (e.g., ब्रह्मा-विष्णू) or dual sense

• रेतसा: by semen
• रेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agreeing with जगत्

• नष्टम्: destroyed
• नष्टम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate with जगत् सर्वम्

• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: (both) immobile and mobile (beings)
• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक) + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (स्थावराणि च जङ्गमानि च) used adjectivally for जगत्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly of devas led by Brahmā, faces tense and uncertain, looking upon a devastated landscape—trees withered, creatures fallen—while a radiant, dangerous ‘seed-energy’ is suggested as a blazing stream or orb.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine beings must align action with dharma; when potency is uncontained, cosmic stability is threatened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kedāra narrative arc; it emphasizes cosmic stakes rather than a localized tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it sets up the need for a dharmic remedy and divine mediation.