Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अपूर्यमाणं तव किं जगत्संसृजनं विना । निरीह बहुधा यत्ते सृष्टं भार्गववज्जगत्

Transliteration

apūryamāṇaṃ tava kiṃ jagatsaṃsṛjanaṃ vinā | nirīha bahudhā yatte sṛṣṭaṃ bhārgavavajjagat

Translation

If Your world is never lacking, never in need of being filled, what need is there to create the world at all? O Desireless One, why have You fashioned this universe in so many forms—like the creations ascribed to Bhārgava?

Word by Word

• अपूर्यमाणम्: being filled/satisfied
• अपूर्यमाणम्: Karman (Predicate complement of jagat)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + पूर् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्/मान (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — being filled/satisfied

• तव: your/of you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — of you/your

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — what? (interrogative)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — the world

• संसृजनम्: creating
• संसृजनम्: Sambandha (Action-noun in construction with vinā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त (verbal noun/action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — creation/producing

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Ablative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable) — without

• निरीह: O desireless one
• निरीह: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरीह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — O desireless/effortless one

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb) — in many ways

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — that which (relative)

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (enclitic) — for you/to you

• सृष्टम्: created
• सृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — created

• भार्गववत्: like Bhārgava
• भार्गववत्: Kriya-visheshana (Comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भार्गव + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तुल्योपमा-वाचक अव्यय (indeclinable of comparison) — like Bhārgava

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — the world

Speaker

Nandabhadra (within Nārada’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapileśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A philosophical vision: from the still, unchanging liṅga radiate countless forms—beings, worlds, elements—like waves from a calm ocean, while the devotee points in questioning wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva (implied)
• Jagat
• Bhārgava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation is questioned not as denial but as contemplative devotion—seeking the Lord’s purpose beyond human motives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The contemplative hymn is voiced at Kapileśvara by Bahūdaka-kuṇḍa, though the verse is primarily cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is part of a stotra-like inquiry.