Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तवोदरे जगत्सर्वं तिष्ठते परमेश्वर । तद्विमुञ्च महासत्त्व यत्पूर्वं संहृतं त्वया

Transliteration

tavodare jagatsarvaṃ tiṣṭhate parameśvara | tadvimuñca mahāsattva yatpūrvaṃ saṃhṛtaṃ tvayā

Translation

Within Your belly the entire universe abides, O Supreme Lord. Therefore, O Great Being, release that which You formerly withdrew into Yourself.

Word by Word

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular)

• उदरे: in (your) belly
• उदरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण—जगत् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• तिष्ठते: stands / remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

• परमेश्वर: O Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• विमुञ्च: release / let out
• विमुञ्च: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• महासत्त्व: O great being
• महासत्त्व: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Vocative, Singular)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• पूर्वम्: formerly / earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• संहृतम्: withdrawn / reabsorbed
• संहृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + सम्- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (क्त), कर्मणि प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (Past passive participle; Neuter, Accusative/Nominative, Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Brahmā (within Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / tīrtha-seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā petitions the Supreme Lord: the universe is shown symbolically within the Lord’s abdomen—tiny worlds, stars, and beings suspended in a cosmic womb; the plea is to release them after pralaya.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara
• Mahāsattva
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation and dissolution are governed by the Supreme; the cosmos depends on divine will, reinforcing surrender and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse is theological-cosmological rather than tīrtha-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse models prayerful supplication to the Supreme Lord.