Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

धर्म उवाच । प्रणमामि जगन्नाथमीशानं प्रणवात्मकम् । समस्तदेवतारूपमादिमध्यांतवर्जितम्

Transliteration

dharma uvāca | praṇamāmi jagannāthamīśānaṃ praṇavātmakam | samastadevatārūpamādimadhyāṃtavarjitam

Translation

Dharma dit : « Je me prosterne devant le Seigneur de l’univers, Īśāna, dont l’essence est la syllabe sacrée Oṁ ; Lui qui revêt les formes de toutes les divinités et demeure au-delà du commencement, du milieu et de la fin. »

Word by Word

• धर्मः: Dharma (personified)
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रणमामि: I bow (salute)
• प्रणमामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• जगन्नाथम्: Lord of the world
• जगन्नाथम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (the Lord)
• ईशानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रणवात्मकम्: of the nature of Praṇava (Oṁ)
• प्रणवात्मकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणव + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying the deity)

• समस्तदेवतारूपम्: having the form of all deities
• समस्तदेवतारूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त + देवता + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• आदि: beginning
• आदि: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• अन्त: end
• अन्त: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• वर्जितम्: devoid of beginning, middle, and end
• वर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘आदि-मध्य-अन्त-वर्जित’ इति समासे विशेषण

Speaker

Dharma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharma personified stands with folded hands before a radiant, formless-yet-iconic Īśāna; Oṁ appears as a luminous glyph above, while subtle silhouettes of many deities merge into one aura.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Jagannātha
• Īśāna
• Praṇava (Oṁ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion recognizes Śiva as the all-pervading Absolute—both the source of sacred sound (Oṁ) and the inner essence of all divine forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praise occurs in the Setukhaṇḍa context, tied to the Setu sacred landscape (traditionally associated with the Setu/Rāmeśvaram region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse functions as a stotra (hymn) of salutation and contemplation.