Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सरस्वत्यां महाबाहो लोकं कुरु ममाज्ञया । भूतग्राममशेषस्य उत्पादनविधिक्षयम्

Transliteration

sarasvatyāṃ mahābāho lokaṃ kuru mamājñayā | bhūtagrāmamaśeṣasya utpādanavidhikṣayam

Translation

«Ô toi aux bras puissants, par Mon ordre, fais naître les mondes en Sarasvatī, et mets en œuvre la méthode entière pour produire toutes les multitudes d’êtres».

Word by Word

• सरस्वत्याम्: in/at Sarasvatī (river/region)
• सरस्वत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् बाहुः यस्य)

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

• कुरु: create/make
• कुरु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आज्ञया: by (my) command
• आज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• भूतग्रामम्: the multitude of beings
• भूतग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भूतानां ग्रामः)

• अशेषस्य: of all, entire
• अशेषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतग्रामस्य)

• उत्पादनविधिक्षयम्: the procedure for creation and dissolution (lit. the cessation of the rule of production)
• उत्पादनविधिक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पादन + विधि + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उत्पादनस्य विधेः क्षयम् / उत्पादनविधेः क्षयम्)

Speaker

Deveśa/Padmanābha (Viṣṇu) speaking to Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu’s directive points Brahmā toward Sarasvatī; the river appears as a luminous, personified stream with white lotuses and swan motifs, becoming the stage for generating worlds and beings.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Deveśa (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā
• Bhūtagrāma (all beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation is not random; it proceeds by divine ordinance (vidhi) and command (ājñā).

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī is highlighted as a sanctified locus where cosmic order and creation are initiated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse establishes a sacred setting (Sarasvatī) and a divine mandate for orderly creation.