Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वाक्यमेवंविधं भूयो वक्तुं नार्हसि वै विधे । अहमेव जगत्कर्ता यज्ञो नारायणो विभुः

Transliteration

vākyamevaṃvidhaṃ bhūyo vaktuṃ nārhasi vai vidhe | ahameva jagatkartā yajño nārāyaṇo vibhuḥ

Translation

«Ô Vidhi (Brahmā), tu ne dois plus jamais proférer de telles paroles. Moi seul suis le créateur du monde : Nārāyaṇa, l’Omniprésent, qui est Yajña lui-même, le Sacrifice.»

Word by Word

• वाक्यम्: a statement/word
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एवंविधम्: of this kind/such
• एवंविधम्: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier of ‘वाक्यम्’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवम् + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः = अव्ययीभाव (एवम्-विधम् = of such a kind)

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (again/further)

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), ‘to speak’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (indeed/emphatic particle)

• विधे: O Vidhī (Brahmā)
• विधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (only/indeed)

• जगत्कर्ता: creator of the world
• जगत्कर्ता: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तृ from कृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः = षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः कर्ता)

• यज्ञः: the sacrifice (personified)
• यज्ञः: Pradhāna-predicative (Appositional predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Pradhāna-predicative (Appositional predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विभुः: all-powerful/omnipresent lord
• विभुः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrating); direct speech by Nārāyaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārāyaṇa, radiant and composed, admonishes Brahmā with firm clarity; symbolic yajña elements (altar fire, ladles, oblations) appear as visual metaphors around him, indicating 'Yajña-Nārāyaṇa'.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā (Vidhi)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic functions are subordinated to the supreme principle; pride is checked by affirming the all-pervading Lord as the inner reality of yajña and creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it belongs to the Setukhaṇḍa narrative that ultimately supports the tīrtha’s sanctifying message.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; yajña is invoked theologically as an identity of Nārāyaṇa.