Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मंदस्मितेन सकलं मोहयन्भुवनत्रयम् । स्वभासा भासयन्सर्वान्दिशो दश च भूसुराः

Transliteration

maṃdasmitena sakalaṃ mohayanbhuvanatrayam | svabhāsā bhāsayansarvāndiśo daśa ca bhūsurāḥ

Translation

Par un doux sourire Il enchanta l’ensemble des trois mondes; et par Sa propre splendeur Il illumina tous les êtres et les dix directions, ô meilleur des brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• मन्दस्मितेन: with a gentle smile
• मन्दस्मितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द + स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (मन्दं स्मितम्)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मोहयन्: deluding
• मोहयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle, शतृ), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• भुवनत्रयम्: the three worlds
• भुवनत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि भुवनानि)

• स्वभासा: by (his) own radiance
• स्वभासा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + भासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य भासा)

• भासयन्: illuminating
• भासयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भास् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle, शतृ), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; causative sense ‘to illumine’ (भासयति)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे (ten, numeral used adjectivally)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भूसुराः: brāhmaṇas (earthly gods)
• भूसुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (भूमौ सुराः) = ब्राह्मणाः

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a brāhmaṇa interlocutor; here ‘bhūsurāḥ’ indicates the addressee)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa audience (bhūsura)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hari stands smiling softly; from His body a luminous aura spreads, lighting the ten directions and all beings, while onlookers—brāhmaṇas and sages—are simultaneously enchanted and uplifted.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Three Worlds

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s grace both attracts the mind and dispels darkness; true illumination is His self-revealed presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu tīrtha, where the Purāṇa frames the Lord’s manifestation as a proof of the site’s extraordinary merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is a eulogy of divine splendor supporting the māhātmya theme.