Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

देवानां वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । चिन्तयामास देवेशस्तस्य नाशाय या क्रिया

Transliteration

devānāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | cintayāmāsa deveśastasya nāśāya yā kriyā

Translation

Mendengar sabda para dewa, Brahmā—kakek agung para loka—merenungkan tindakan apa yang dapat mendatangkan kebinasaannya.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वचनम्: speech; message
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य पितामहः)

• चिन्तयामास: pondered; considered
• चिन्तयामास: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवेशः: lord of the gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः)

• तस्य: of him; his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• नाशाय: for destruction
• नाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient; हेतु/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-विशेषण (relative pronoun)

• क्रिया: act; means; course of action
• क्रिया: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā seated in a celestial assembly, hearing the devas’ petition; his four faces show contemplation as he weighs the means to end the dānava’s threat.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Bāṇāsura (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restoring dharma may require wise, measured action—divine intelligence seeks the right ‘kriyā’ rather than impulsive retaliation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; this is narrative about Brahmā’s deliberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; ‘kriyā’ here means strategic action, not a ritual injunction.