Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

गतवान्ब्रह्मणो लोकं तत्रापश्यं पितामहम् । स हि राजर्षिदेवर्षिमूर्तामूर्तैः सुसंवृतः

Transliteration

gatavānbrahmaṇo lokaṃ tatrāpaśyaṃ pitāmaham | sa hi rājarṣidevarṣimūrtāmūrtaiḥ susaṃvṛtaḥ

Translation

“I went to the world of Brahmā, and there I beheld the Grandsire (Pitāmaha). He was indeed surrounded by royal seers and divine seers—by beings both embodied and unembodied.”

Word by Word

• गतवान्: having gone
• गतवान्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (Perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लोकम्: world, realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितामहम्: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• राजर्षि-देवर्षि-मूर्त-अमूर्तैः: by royal sages, divine sages, embodied and unembodied (beings)
• राजर्षि-देवर्षि-मूर्त-अमूर्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + देवर्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अमूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• सु-संवृतः: well surrounded
• सु-संवृतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + सम् + वृ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (संवृत = surrounded/covered), सु- उपपद (well)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmaloka (as cosmic tīrtha-like locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Brahmaloka court: Brahmā seated, surrounded by rājārṣis and devarṣis; some appear as luminous forms without bodies, others as ascetics and kings with matted hair and crowns.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Rājarṣis
• Devarṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teachings are situated within a cosmic, sage-filled tradition, emphasizing continuity of sacred knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse shifts to Brahmaloka as narrative setting; the earthly tīrtha-māhātmya is still forthcoming.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive cosmological narration.