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Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

यो जीवकलया विश्वं व्याप्य तिष्ठति देहिनाम् । न ज्ञायते न च ग्राह्यो न भेद्यश्चापि जायते

yo jīvakalayā viśvaṃ vyāpya tiṣṭhati dehinām | na jñāyate na ca grāhyo na bhedyaścāpi jāyate

Celui qui, par une part de sa puissance vivante, pénètre l’univers et demeure dans les êtres incarnés—nul ne peut le connaître pleinement ; nul ne peut le saisir ; nul ne peut le percer ni le blesser.

यःwho (he)
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)
जीवकलयाby (his) living portion/energy
जीवकलया:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootजीव-कला (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: जीव + कला)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (life + portion/part)
विश्वम्the universe
विश्वम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootविश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
व्याप्यhaving pervaded
व्याप्य:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-आप् (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) ‘व्याप्य’ (having pervaded); धातु: आप् with उपसर्ग वि (to pervade)
तिष्ठतिabides
तिष्ठति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्था (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: स्था (to stand/abide)
देहिनाम्of embodied beings
देहिनाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootदेहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
not
:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)
ज्ञायतेis known
ज्ञायते:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; ‘is known’
not
:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)
and
:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)
ग्राह्यःgraspable
ग्राह्यः:
Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootग्रह् (धातु)
Formयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/potential passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be grasped’
not
:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)
भेद्यःbreakable, divisible
भेद्यः:
Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootभिद् (धातु)
Formयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be split/pierced’
and
:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)
अपिalso
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (also/even)
जायतेis born/arises
जायते:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: जन् (to be born/arise)

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Scene: A calm, cosmic visualization: Śiva’s subtle presence radiates through the universe and within beings; attempts to grasp him dissolve into light and space.

M
Maheśvara (implied)
D
dehin (embodied beings)

FAQs

Śiva is not an ordinary being subject to capture or injury; the divine pervades all life and transcends physical control.

The verse is theological within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter; the specific site is not named in this excerpt.

None; it is a doctrinal statement about Śiva’s nature.