Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यद्वा देवा न संयांति पारं ये च परस्परम् । तत्सृष्टसृष्टसृष्टेषु गणना काऽस्मदादिषु

Transliteration

yadvā devā na saṃyāṃti pāraṃ ye ca parasparam | tatsṛṣṭasṛṣṭasṛṣṭeṣu gaṇanā kā'smadādiṣu

Translation

Si même les dieux ne peuvent atteindre la limite ultime les uns des autres, alors, dans des créations issues de créations sur créations, quelle mesure ou comparaison pourrait-il y avoir pour des êtres tels que nous ?

Word by Word

• यद्वा: or else
• यद्वा: Adverbial (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् + वा (अव्यय-समुच्चय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) — ‘or else/alternatively’

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural

• न: not
• न: Adverbial (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation particle

• संयान्ति: reach/attain
• संयान्ति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural present

• पारम्: the far shore/limit
• पारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject of relative clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — relative pronoun nominative plural

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

• परस्परम्: mutually
• परस्परम्: Adverbial (Reciprocal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb ‘mutually/each other’

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular (correlative)

• सृष्टसृष्टसृष्टेषु: among creations-of-creations-of-creations
• सृष्टसृष्टसृष्टेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टसृष्टसृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; सृष्ट + सृष्ट + सृष्ट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — neuter locative plural; बहुस्तरीय तत्पुरुष (nested determinative)

• गणना: counting/numbering
• गणना: Karta/Predicate-noun (Subject/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

• का: what (is)
• का: Karta/Predicate (Interrogative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — interrogative pronoun nominative singular

• अस्मदादिषु: among us and others
• अस्मदादिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Reference set/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मदादि (प्रातिपदिक; अस्मद् + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — masculine locative plural

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deductive, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages contemplate an infinite cascade of worlds—creation emerging from creation—while distant deities appear unable to reach each other’s limits; the foreground shows a human figure shrinking in scale, hands folded, embodying humility.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches humility: if even devas cannot fathom ultimate limits, humans should abandon prideful comparisons and rest in reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse is a cosmological reflection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a contemplative statement discouraging arrogant reckoning.