Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्ववंशवर्णनं तत्र लिखित्वा स्वयमेव तु । देशकालादिकं सर्वं लिलेख विधिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

svavaṃśavarṇanaṃ tatra likhitvā svayameva tu | deśakālādikaṃ sarvaṃ lilekha vidhipūrvakam

Translation

Là, il écrivit de sa propre main le récit de sa lignée; et, selon la règle prescrite, il consigna chaque détail — lieu, temps et le reste.

Word by Word

• स्व-वंश-वर्णनम्: description of his own lineage
• स्व-वंश-वर्णनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्ववंशस्य वर्णनम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana/Avyaya (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• लिखित्वा: having written
• लिखित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिख् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having written)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• तु: but/and
• तु: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय-निपात (adversative/contrast particle)

• देश-काल-आदिकम्: place, time, etc.
• देश-काल-आदिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (देशः च कालः च आदयः च)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘देशकालादिकम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लिलेख: wrote
• लिलेख: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिख् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विधि-पूर्वकम्: according to proper procedure
• विधि-पूर्वकम्: Sambandha/Avyaya (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (in accordance with rule)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa (context speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma seated as a righteous king-sage, inscribing a palm-leaf charter: his lineage, the exact place and time, and formal particulars, with attendants holding inkpot and stylus; the forest-kṣetra atmosphere remains serene.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vaṃśa (lineage record)
• Deśa-kāla (place and time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is strengthened when sacred acts and ordinances are established with transparency, lineage accountability, and proper procedure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya by portraying the region’s dharmic order as formally recorded and thus enduring.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural prescription is implied: recording (lekhana) with deśa-kāla details ‘according to rule’ (vidhi-pūrvakam).