Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आत्मास्य कथितो ब्रह्मा व्यभजत्स त्रिधा त्विदम् । ऊर्ध्वं तत्र स्थिता देवा मध्ये चैव च मानवाः

Transliteration

ātmāsya kathito brahmā vyabhajatsa tridhā tvidam | ūrdhvaṃ tatra sthitā devā madhye caiva ca mānavāḥ

Translation

Brahmā—del que se dice que es el ātman, el principio vivificante de esto—dividió luego este cosmos en tres partes. Arriba quedaron establecidos los dioses; y en medio, ciertamente, los seres humanos.

Word by Word

• ātmā: the Self
• ātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• kathitaḥ: described, spoken of
• kathitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kath (धातु) → kathita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; brahmā इति विशेषण

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vyabhajat: divided
• vyabhajat: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vibhaj (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tridhā: into three (ways/parts)
• tridhā: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tridhā (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (in three parts)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• idam: this (world/egg)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ūrdhvam: above, upwards
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: upwards/above)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• sthitāḥ: situated, stationed
• sthitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; devāḥ इति विशेषण

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (स्थानवाचक)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic/limiting particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• mānavāḥ: humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmic diagram: upper realm with devas in luminous palaces, middle realm with humans and sacred rivers/temples, lower realm hinted beneath; Brahmā as organizer at the center.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Mānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is positioned within a divinely ordered cosmos—encouraging responsible dharma in the ‘middle realm’ between higher and lower states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.