Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

अष्टावरणसंवीतं ब्रह्मांडं ब्रह्मणा सह । भस्मीभूतं चकाराशु जलकल्मषमद्भुतम्

Transliteration

aṣṭāvaraṇasaṃvītaṃ brahmāṃḍaṃ brahmaṇā saha | bhasmībhūtaṃ cakārāśu jalakalmaṣamadbhutam

Translation

Das Weltenei, von den acht Hüllen umschlossen, wurde samt Brahmā durch jene erstaunliche „wässrige Befleckung“ rasch zu Asche gemacht.

Word by Word

• अष्टावरणसंवीतम्: covered by eight coverings
• अष्टावरणसंवीतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-आवरण-सम्-√वी (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अष्टावरणैः संवीतम् = covered by eight enclosures)

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the cosmic egg (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः अण्डम्)

• ब्रह्मणा: with Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition meaning ‘with’)

• भस्मीभूतम्: turned to ash
• भस्मीभूतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म-भू (प्रातिपदिक + √भू)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (भस्मी + भूतम् = become ash)

• चकार: made/did
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• जलकल्मषम्: the impurity/defilement of water
• जलकल्मषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य कल्मषम्)

• अद्भुतम्: marvellous/wondrous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (जलकल्मषम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers within the Kedāra narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brahmāṇḍa appears as a vast luminous egg wrapped in eight translucent shells; an uncanny watery-black force touches it and it flakes into ash; Brahmā’s presence is shown within, fading as the shells collapse.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmāṇḍa
• Aṣṭāvaraṇa
• Brahmā
• Jala-kalmaṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the entire brahmāṇḍa with its cosmic layers is transient; liberation is not in worlds but in the eternal principle beyond them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra Khaṇḍa context frames the narration, but this verse is cosmological rather than topographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here.