Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

व्यतीतायां निशायां तु ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । ततः प्रभाते विमले सृज्यमानेषु जन्तुषु

Transliteration

vyatītāyāṃ niśāyāṃ tu brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | tataḥ prabhāte vimale sṛjyamāneṣu jantuṣu

Translation

When the night of Brahmā, the Paramēṣṭhin, the Supreme Lord of beings, had passed, then—at the pure and stainless dawn—while living creatures were being brought forth in creation,

Word by Word

• vyatītāyām: when (it was) passed
• vyatītāyām: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ati-i (धातु) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/भावे कृदन्त (gone/passed)

• niśāyām: in the night
• niśāyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• parameṣṭhinaḥ: of the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• parameṣṭhinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषण/उपाधि

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from then/thereafter)

• prabhāte: at dawn
• prabhāte: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• vimale: pure/clear
• vimale: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; प्राभाते विशेषण

• sṛjyamāneṣu: while (they were) being created
• sṛjyamāneṣu: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sṛj (धातु) शानच् (कृदन्त; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त (being created)

• jantuṣu: among creatures
• jantuṣu: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrative frame (implied): Yudhiṣṭhira addressing Manu (dialogue context continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The cosmic night ends; a stainless dawn spreads as beings are created—light emerging over a still, boundless expanse.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narratives of tīrthas are anchored in cosmic time, showing that dharma and holy geography arise within the divine order of creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the cosmological preface; the immediate tīrtha focus in this section is the Revā (Narmadā) region within the Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it functions as a creation-time introduction to the ensuing māhātmya.