Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

लयं चैव तथान्योन्यमाद्यंतं प्रकरोति च । सर्गसंहारसंस्थानां कर्त्ता देवो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

layaṃ caiva tathānyonyamādyaṃtaṃ prakaroti ca | sargasaṃhārasaṃsthānāṃ karttā devo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

Il opère aussi la dissolution (laya) et l’entrelacement réciproque des commencements et des fins ; car de la création, de la destruction et de l’ordonnance des mondes, l’Agent est le dieu Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• layam: dissolution
• layam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction/particle)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• tathā: thus; likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• anyonyam: mutual (interaction)
• anyonyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; परस्पर-भाववाचक (mutual)

• ādya-antam: beginning and end
• ādya-antam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (beginning and end)

• prakaroti: creates; brings about
• prakaroti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction/particle)

• sarga-saṃhāra-saṃsthānām: of creation, dissolution, and sustenance
• sarga-saṃhāra-saṃsthānām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarga (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (creation, dissolution, and maintenance/ordering)

• karttā: the doer; agent
• karttā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheshvara (Great Lord)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great lord)

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara) speaking to Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as cosmic ruler: in one hand the drum of creation, in another the fire of dissolution; worlds arranged like a mandala, with streams showing beginnings folding into endings.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Laya
• Sarga
• Saṃhāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All cosmic cycles—origin, order, and dissolution—ultimately depend on Maheśvara, directing worship toward the supreme governor of time and change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where Śiva’s universal lordship is proclaimed as part of the site’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is doctrinal praise (stuti) supporting Śaiva devotion.