Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

नापि जीवाः समभवन्नव्यक्तं केवलं स्थितम् । जगतामपि सर्वेषामकाले वीक्ष्य संक्षयम्

Transliteration

nāpi jīvāḥ samabhavannavyaktaṃ kevalaṃ sthitam | jagatāmapi sarveṣāmakāle vīkṣya saṃkṣayam

Translation

Aucun être incarné n’était encore advenu ; seul demeurait l’Inmanifesté (Avyakta). Voyant la dissolution hors saison de tous les mondes, les sages méditèrent ce mystère.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (particle: ‘also/even’)

• जीवाः: living beings
• जीवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समभवन्: came into being
• समभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); उपसर्गः: सम्-

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying स्थितम्/केवलम्)

• केवलम्: only/sole
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्

• स्थितम्: remained/stood
• स्थितम्: Kriya-visheshana/State (Predicate adjective/अवस्था)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (particle: ‘also/even’)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-प्रयोगे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying जगताम्)

• अकाले: at an untimely time
• अकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• संक्षयम्: destruction/decay
• संक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: No beings, no movement—only a vast, subtle field suggesting the Unmanifest; sages at the margin perceive an ‘untimely’ dissolution and turn inward.

Characters & Entities

• Aruṇācala
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All manifested life can withdraw into the Unmanifest by divine ordinance; seekers should look beyond appearances to the source-principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala (Tiruvaṇṇāmalai) is the overarching sacred focus of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya, framing cosmic events around Śiva’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it establishes the cosmological setting for later praise and practice connected to Aruṇācala.