Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तस्माद्वारय तं गत्वा स्वयमेव पितामह । यावन्न व्याप्यते सर्वं तत्सष्ट्येदं चराचरम्

Transliteration

tasmādvāraya taṃ gatvā svayameva pitāmaha | yāvanna vyāpyate sarvaṃ tatsaṣṭyedaṃ carācaram

Translation

Therefore, Grandfather (Brahmā), go yourself and restrain him, before this created world of moving and unmoving beings becomes wholly overrun by that (new) creation.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वारय: restrain, stop
• वारय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वारय (णिजन्त) ← वṛ/वृ (धातु: to restrain)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having gone’

• स्वयम्: yourself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• पितामह: O Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; यावत्-शब्दः (correlative: as long as/until)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• व्याप्यते: spreads, becomes pervaded
• व्याप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is pervaded/spreads’

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (here: ‘that’)

• सृष्टि: creation
• सृष्टि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (here in apposition with तत्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• चर-अचरम्: the moving and the unmoving
• चर-अचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः—‘moving and unmoving (beings)’

Speaker

Unspecified (addressing Brahmā as Pitāmaha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deity or messenger urgently petitions Brahmā, pointing toward a swelling multitude of beings spreading across the worlds; Brahmā’s face is grave, poised to intervene.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Viśvāmitra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power must remain aligned with universal order; when imbalance threatens, divine governance (Brahmā) intervenes to restore dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative bridge within the Tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on restraining an act of creation rather than prescribing a rite.