Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एतत्कूटं चाद्यबीजं द्वितीयं च विभोर्मतम् । तृतीयं चाग्निबीजं तु संयुक्तं बिंदुनेंदुना

Transliteration

etatkūṭaṃ cādyabījaṃ dvitīyaṃ ca vibhormatam | tṛtīyaṃ cāgnibījaṃ tu saṃyuktaṃ biṃduneṃdunā

Translation

Ce kūṭa est la première semence ; la seconde est tenue pour celle du Seigneur. La troisième est la semence du feu, conjointe au bindu et au signe de la lune.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कूटम्: kūṭa (mystic group)
• कूटम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• आद्यबीजम्: the first seed
• आद्यबीजम्: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (आद्यं बीजम्)

• द्वितीयम्: the second
• द्वितीयम्: Karta (Predicate/Enumeration)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• विभोः: of the Lord
• विभोः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• मतम्: considered (as)
• मतम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मन् ‘to think’/‘to consider’)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP) ‘considered/held’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तृतीयम्: the third
• तृतीयम्: Karta (Predicate/Enumeration)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अग्निबीजम्: the fire-seed
• अग्निबीजम्: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अग्नेः बीजम्)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक

• संयुक्तम्: joined/combined
• संयुक्तम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √युज्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• बिंदुना: with bindu
• बिंदुना: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिंदु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

• इंदुना: with the moon (indu)
• इंदुना: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इंदु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (instructional passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic revelation: three kūṭas displayed like a yantra—first seed at base, second at center as ‘vibhu/īśvara’, third as a flame-seed crowned by bindu and a crescent moon.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vibhu)
• Pārvatī
• Kūṭa
• Agni-bīja
• Bindu
• Indu (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Esoteric practice is systematic: the teaching enumerates seeds in an ordered way, emphasizing precision in subtle marks like bindu and ‘moon’ (indu).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is explicitly glorified; the verse is a mantra-structure exposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied mantra-japa/nyāsa precision (correct seed order and diacritic marks); no explicit pilgrimage or charity rule is present.