Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सचेतनेन शुद्धेन रागादिरहितेन च । अथ कस्मादात्मसदृशं न सृष्टं निर्मितं जडम्

Transliteration

sacetanena śuddhena rāgādirahitena ca | atha kasmādātmasadṛśaṃ na sṛṣṭaṃ nirmitaṃ jaḍam

Translation

You are conscious, pure, and free from passion and the like—so why was nothing akin to You created? Why was this inert, insentient world fashioned?

Word by Word

• सचेतनेन: with/by (something) conscious
• सचेतनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-चेतन (प्रातिपदिक; स + चेतन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• शुद्धेन: pure
• शुद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• रागादिरहितेन: free from passion etc.
• रागादिरहितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राग-आदि-रहित (प्रातिपदिक; राग + आदि + रहित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (then/now; discourse particle)

• कस्मात्: from what cause?/why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (अपादान) एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (Ablative singular)

• आत्मसदृशम्: similar to the Self
• आत्मसदृशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन्-सदृश (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मन् + सदृश)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Accusative singular, neuter)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• सृष्टम्: created
• सृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → सृष्ट (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (past passive participle; accusative singular, neuter)

• निर्मितम्: made/constructed
• निर्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√मा (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (past passive participle; accusative singular, neuter)

• जडम्: the inert (thing/world)
• जडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, neuter)

Speaker

Nandabhadra (within Nārada’s narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning devotee/sage addresses Sadāśiva: the luminous, conscious Lord contrasted with a shadowy, inert cosmos—symbolic split between cit and jaḍa.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva (implied)
• Rāga
• Jaḍa
• Cetanā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The devotee wrestles with the contrast between divine purity and worldly inertia, turning doubt into prayerful seeking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Context remains Kapileśvara at Bahūdaka-kuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is philosophical questioning within devotion.