Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ततो भवो जगद्धेतोर्व्यभजज्जातवेदसम् । साहंकारे जने चंद्रे सुमनस्सु च गीतके

Transliteration

tato bhavo jagaddhetorvyabhajajjātavedasam | sāhaṃkāre jane caṃdre sumanassu ca gītake

Translation

तब जगत् के कारण भव (शिव) ने उस जातवेदस्-अग्नि का विभाग किया—अहंकार में, जनसमुदाय में, चंद्रमा में, पुष्पों में और गीत में।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरार्थ

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जगत्-हेतोः: of the cause of the world
• जगत्-हेतोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जगतः हेतु)

• व्यभजत्: divided / apportioned
• व्यभजत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√भज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदसम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (जातः वेदः यस्य/जातवेदाः = अग्निः)

• स: in that
• स: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘तस्मिन्’ इत्यर्थे

• अहंकारे: in egoism
• अहंकारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• जने: in people / in the world of beings
• जने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• चन्द्रे: in the moon
• चन्द्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सुमनस्सु: in the good-minded / in the gods (sumanas)
• सुमनस्सु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (वेदिक/छान्दस रूप: -सु)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• गीतके: in song / in chanting
• गीतके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva calms the world-threatening fire by dividing it into subtle and beautiful manifestations: a spark entering ego-principle, a portion into humanity, a cooling share into the Moon, fragrance into flowers, and resonance into song.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Bhava)
• Agni (Jātavedas)
• Candra (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is not merely destructive; it is regulated and integrated into creation as energies shaping mind, nature, and culture.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse frames a universal cosmological distribution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a metaphysical explanation of how the fiery energy becomes present in various domains.