Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

अहं सर्वाणि बीजानि प्राक्सन्ध्यासूदिते रवौ । एतद्वै कारणं सर्वं रहस्यं कथितं परम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ sarvāṇi bījāni prāksandhyāsūdite ravau | etadvai kāraṇaṃ sarvaṃ rahasyaṃ kathitaṃ param

Translation

「われは一切の種子である」とブラフマーは言った。「太陽が夜明けの曙光において、なお昇りきらぬ前に現れるとき。これこそ万有の因、至上の秘義として説き明かされた。」

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बीजानि: seeds
• बीजानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• प्राक्: before
• प्राक्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time: 'before')

• सन्ध्या: at twilight
• सन्ध्या: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सूदिते: having risen
• सूदिते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सू (धातु) → सूदित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रवौ इति पुंलिङ्ग-सप्तमी-एकवचनानुसारं

• रवौ: when the sun (is)
• रवौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Topic (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रहस्यम्: secret
• रहस्यम्: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sandhyā-kāla (as sacred threshold) within Revā context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tapasvinī / Mahāvratā (ascetic lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the cusp of dawn, before sunrise, Brahmā reveals the ‘seed of all’ doctrine; the horizon glows faintly, a riverbank hermitage is still, and the listener sits in austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Bīja (seeds)
• Sandhyā (twilight)
• Ravi (sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All origination is rooted in a divine causal principle; contemplation of beginnings (bīja) refines spiritual insight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā setting continues as the sacred backdrop for revealing ‘parama-rahasya’ (supreme secret).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the mention of sandhyā suggests the sanctity of twilight practice, but it is not instructed here.