Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

ससर्जेति पुरा धाता रूपात्मकमिदं जगत् । तच्च नामप्रपञ्चेन बद्धं दाम्ना च गौर्यथा

Transliteration

sasarjeti purā dhātā rūpātmakamidaṃ jagat | tacca nāmaprapañcena baddhaṃ dāmnā ca gauryathā

Translation

Autrefois, le Créateur (Dhātā) fit surgir ce monde comme un domaine de formes ; et ce monde est lié par la prolifération des noms, telle une vache attachée par une corde.

Word by Word

• ससर्ज: created
• ससर्ज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• धाता: the Creator (Dhātā/Brahmā)
• धाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रूपात्मकम्: having form as its nature
• रूपात्मकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• नामप्रपञ्चेन: by the proliferation of names
• नामप्रपञ्चेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम + प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• बद्धम्: bound
• बद्धम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दाम्ना: by a rope
• दाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• गौरि: Gaurī
• गौरि: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (as)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic creator (Dhātā/Brahmā) emanates a world of diverse forms. Overlaid are floating name-tags (nāma) that wrap like a rope around a gentle cow, illustrating bondage by designation; in the background, a subtle Śiva-linga glow suggests the transcendent ground.

Characters & Entities

• Dhātā (Creator)
• Nāma-prapañca (name-proliferation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bondage is sustained by attachment to ‘name and form’; liberation-oriented insight begins by seeing how naming fixes and limits experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a metaphysical explanation used within the Purāṇic discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it prepares a philosophical ground for discernment (viveka) rather than a ritual act.