Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पतितं सोममालोक्य ब्रह्मा लो कपितामहः । रथमारोपयामास लोकानां हितकाम्यया

Transliteration

patitaṃ somamālokya brahmā lo kapitāmahaḥ | rathamāropayāmāsa lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā

Translation

Voyant Soma tombé, Brahmā, l’Aïeul des mondes, le fit monter sur un char, désirant le bien de tous les êtres.

Word by Word

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; √पत् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (fallen)

• सोमम्: Soma
• सोमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ√लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), उपसर्ग: आ-; 'having seen'

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकानां पितामहः)

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आरोपयामास: placed (him) upon / made mount
• आरोपयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√रुह् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट्/परस्मैपद (periphrastic perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: 'caused to mount/placed upon'), उपसर्ग: आ-

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हितकाम्यया: for the sake of (their) welfare
• हितकाम्यया: Hetu (Purpose/Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-हेतौ (instrumental of purpose); तत्पुरुष (हितं काम्यते यस्या सा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced and calm, beholds Soma fallen; with measured compassion he lifts Soma onto a radiant chariot, attendants steadying the wheels, the world watching in relief.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Soma (Candra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes compassionate restoration—divine governance acts for loka-hita (the good of all).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Avimukta is the narrative arena; the verse supports the lead-up to Kāśī’s Candreśvara sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on divine intervention for universal welfare.