Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

चिरकाले गते सोपि पृथिव्यादिसुतत्त्वकैः । वृक्षमुत्पादयामासायुतशाखामनोरमम्

Transliteration

cirakāle gate sopi pṛthivyādisutattvakaiḥ | vṛkṣamutpādayāmāsāyutaśākhāmanoramam

Translation

Après un long temps, Lui aussi, au moyen des subtils tattvas commençant par la terre, fit naître un arbre ravissant aux dix mille branches.

Word by Word

• चिरकाले: after a long time
• चिरकाले: Adhikarana (Locus/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिरकाल (प्रातिपदिक: चिर + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular); ‘long time’

• गते: when (it) had passed
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative absolute with चिरकाले

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• पृथिव्यादि-सुतत्त्वकैः: by the good elements beginning with earth
• पृथिव्यादि-सुतत्त्वकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + आदि + सु + तत्त्वक (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural); समासार्थ: ‘by the good elements beginning with earth’ (पृथिवी-आदि + सु-तत्त्वक)

• वृक्षम्: a tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• उत्पादयामास: produced, brought forth
• उत्पादयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + √पद्/√पाद्? (धातु ‘उत्पादने’ causative √पद्/√पद् → उत्पादयति)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्सभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense ‘caused to arise/produced’

• अयुतशाखम्: having ten thousand branches
• अयुतशाखम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुत + शाख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु: अयुत (ten-thousand) + शाख (branches)

• अनोरमम्: (text as given) not charming / (likely) charming
• अनोरमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनोरम (प्रातिपदिक: अ- + नोरम/नोरम?; अर्थतः ‘not delightful’/‘very delightful’ uncertain)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying वृक्षम्; पाठभेद-संदेह: ‘मनोरमम्’ अपेक्षितम्

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛkṣa-tīrtha (archetype)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From subtle elemental essences (earth-water-fire-air-ether as luminous seeds), a magnificent tree sprouts, rapidly unfolding into countless branches across the cosmic expanse.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Tattvas (pṛthivī-ādi)
• Cosmic tree (vṛkṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos arises through ordered principles (tattvas) under divine will; multiplicity emerges from a single source.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is specified in this verse; it continues the cosmogonic preface within the Dharmāraṇya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive cosmology.