Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

आत्मवत्सर्वभूतानि पश्यन्विषयनिःस्पृहः । सर्वभूतहितो दांतः सर्वद्वंद्वविवर्जितः

Transliteration

ātmavatsarvabhūtāni paśyanviṣayaniḥspṛhaḥ | sarvabhūtahito dāṃtaḥ sarvadvaṃdvavivarjitaḥ

Translation

Voyant tous les êtres comme son propre Soi, sans désir pour les objets des sens ; œuvrant au bien de toutes les créatures, discipliné et exempt de toute paire d’opposés.

Word by Word

• आत्मवत्: as oneself / self-like
• आत्मवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (like oneself) — ‘सर्वभूतानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सर्वभूतानि: all beings
• सर्वभूतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• पश्यन्: seeing/regarding
• पश्यन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• विषयनिःस्पृहः: free from desire for sense-objects
• विषयनिःस्पृहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक) + निःस्पृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सप्तमी/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (विषयेषु निःस्पृहः)

• सर्वभूतहितः: beneficial to all beings
• सर्वभूतहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वभूत (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वभूतानां हितः/हितकारी)

• दान्तः: self-controlled
• दान्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दम् (धातु) → दान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘दमितः/संयतः’

• सर्वद्वन्द्वविवर्जितः: devoid of all dualities
• सर्वद्वन्द्वविवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वद्वन्द्वेभ्यः विवर्जितः = free from all pairs of opposites)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharma-puṣkariṇī (as a dharma-sādhana locus)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gālava in serene meditation, surrounded by diverse beings—animals, birds, ascetics, villagers—peacefully coexisting; the sage’s gaze is equal toward all, with a calm aura indicating freedom from dualities.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is fulfilled by inner transformation: empathy for all beings, detachment, self-control, and equanimity are the heart of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu sacred landscape remains the narrative frame; the verse praises the saintly qualifications that make tīrtha-contact spiritually potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is specified; the verse prescribes inner disciplines—vairāgya (non-craving), dānta (self-restraint), and freedom from dvandvas.