Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गज उवाच । यत्स्वरूपापरिज्ञानात्कार्याणां परमा णवः । कल्पिताः कारणत्वेन तार्किकापसदैर्वृथा

Transliteration

gaja uvāca | yatsvarūpāparijñānātkāryāṇāṃ paramā ṇavaḥ | kalpitāḥ kāraṇatvena tārkikāpasadairvṛthā

Translation

Gaja dit : Faute de connaître Ta vraie nature, les « atomes » des effets sont vainement imaginés—par les plus vils disputeurs—comme s’ils étaient la cause ultime.

Word by Word

• गजः: Gaja (name of speaker)
• गजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यत्: from which
• यत्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; (यत्-कारणक)

• स्वरूप: one's own nature
• स्वरूप: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• अपरिज्ञानात्: from non-recognition/ignorance
• अपरिज्ञानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + परि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: भाववाचक-नाम (अपरिज्ञान), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• कार्याणाम्: of effects/products
• कार्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• परमाः: supreme/ultimate
• परमाः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अणवः: atoms
• अणवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कल्पिताः: are imagined
• कल्पिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि (conceived/imagined)

• कारणत्वेन: as causes
• कारणत्वेन: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारणत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कारण + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (as/with the status of cause)

• तार्किक: logicians
• तार्किक: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्किक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• अपसदैः: by the low/degenerate ones
• अपसदैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपसद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• वृथा: vainly, wrongly
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Gaja

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara/Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaja addresses the luminous Śiva-liṅga; to one side, tiny ‘atoms’ depicted as scattered specks are shown being dismissed by a gesture of knowledge, while a single vast radiance fills the scene, symbolizing the true cause.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmanātha
• Rāmeśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without realizing Śiva’s true nature, people mistake secondary theories (like atomism) for the ultimate cause; devotion is grounded in higher truth, not mere debate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram at Setu, where Rāmanātha is praised as the supreme reality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse functions as philosophical praise (stuti) within the Setu Māhātmya.