Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सरस्वत्यां महाबाहो लोकं कुरु ममाज्ञया । भूतग्राममशेषस्य उत्पादनविधिक्षयम्

Transliteration

sarasvatyāṃ mahābāho lokaṃ kuru mamājñayā | bhūtagrāmamaśeṣasya utpādanavidhikṣayam

Translation

“ഹേ മഹാബാഹോ! എന്റെ ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം സരസ്വതിയിൽ ലോകങ്ങളെ സൃഷ്ടിക്ക; അശേഷമായ ഭൂതസമൂഹത്തിന്റെ ഉത്പാദനവിധിയെ പൂർണ്ണമായി പ്രവർത്തിപ്പിക്ക।”

Word by Word

• सरस्वत्याम्: in/at Sarasvatī (river/region)
• सरस्वत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् बाहुः यस्य)

• लोकम्: the world
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरु: create/make
• कुरु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आज्ञया: by (my) command
• आज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• भूतग्रामम्: the multitude of beings
• भूतग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भूतानां ग्रामः)

• अशेषस्य: of all, entire
• अशेषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतग्रामस्य)

• उत्पादनविधिक्षयम्: the procedure for creation and dissolution (lit. the cessation of the rule of production)
• उत्पादनविधिक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पादन + विधि + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उत्पादनस्य विधेः क्षयम् / उत्पादनविधेः क्षयम्)

Speaker

Deveśa/Padmanābha (Viṣṇu) speaking to Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu’s directive points Brahmā toward Sarasvatī; the river appears as a luminous, personified stream with white lotuses and swan motifs, becoming the stage for generating worlds and beings.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Deveśa (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā
• Bhūtagrāma (all beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation is not random; it proceeds by divine ordinance (vidhi) and command (ājñā).

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī is highlighted as a sanctified locus where cosmic order and creation are initiated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse establishes a sacred setting (Sarasvatī) and a divine mandate for orderly creation.