Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सीदमानं जगद्दृष्ट्वा तमूचुः परमेष्ठिनम् । जानासि त्वं जगच्छेषं प्रभो मैथुनसम्भवात्

Transliteration

sīdamānaṃ jagaddṛṣṭvā tamūcuḥ parameṣṭhinam | jānāsi tvaṃ jagaccheṣaṃ prabho maithunasambhavāt

Translation

Voyant le monde s’enfoncer dans le déclin, ils dirent à Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā) : «Ô Seigneur, tu sais ce qui subsiste du monde, car la création procède de l’union conjugale».

Word by Word

• सीदमानम्: sinking, languishing
• सीदमानम्: Karma (Object attribute/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सद् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative, Singular (qualifying जगत्)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object of ‘seeing’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त — ‘having seen’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural

• परमेष्ठिनम्: Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिनम्: Karma (Addressee as object of speech/सम्प्रदान-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + स्थिन् (स्था (धातु) + इनि-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (परमेषु स्थिता इति); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 2nd person, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative, Singular

• जगत्-शेषम्: the remainder/condition of the world
• जगत्-शेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (जगतः शेषः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मैथुनसम्भवात्: from sexual union; due to procreation
• मैथुनसम्भवात्: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause/अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन + सम्भव (भू (धातु) + उपसर्ग सम् + भाव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (मैथुनात् सम्भवः); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

Devas (addressing Brahmā/Parameṣṭhin)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-context (episode)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas address four-faced Brahmā with urgency; behind them the world appears to droop—withered plants, quiet cities—symbolizing halted procreation.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)
• Devas
• Jagat

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic stability depends on dharmic continuity of creation; when generative power declines, the gods seek divine intervention to restore order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame; the immediate verse focuses on cosmic crisis rather than praising a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.