Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पिता सोमस्य भो विप्र जज्ञेऽत्रिर्भगवानृषिः । ब्रह्मणो मानसात्पूर्वं प्रजासर्गं विधित्सतः

Transliteration

pitā somasya bho vipra jajñe'trirbhagavānṛṣiḥ | brahmaṇo mānasātpūrvaṃ prajāsargaṃ vidhitsataḥ

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, the father of Soma is the blessed sage Atri, who was born earlier from Brahmā’s mind when he wished to set in motion the creation of beings.

Word by Word

• pitā: father
• pitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• somasya: of Soma (the Moon)
• somasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• vipra: O brāhmaṇa
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• jajñe: was born/arose
• jajñe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• atriḥ: Atri
• atriḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhagavān: venerable, blessed
• bhagavān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• ṛṣiḥ: sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• mānasāt: from the mind (mental)
• mānasāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (source)

• pūrvam: formerly, before
• pūrvam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• prajāsargam: creation of creatures
• prajāsargam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā + sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vidhitsataḥ: of (him) desiring to create/ordain
• vidhitsataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + dhā (धातु) + san (सन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: सन्-प्रत्ययान्त धातु-विशेष (desiderative stem), शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Viṣṇugaṇas (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atri, serene and radiant, emerges as a mind-born sage from Brahmā’s contemplation; the lineage to Soma is implied, with lunar symbolism hovering above.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Atri
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology links celestial powers to ṛṣi-lineages and Brahmā’s creative intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a site-specific verse; it supports the Somaloka episode within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides genealogical-cosmological information about Soma’s origin.