Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एवमात्मभवं कृत्वा जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । लोकानां तु हितार्थाय स्थापयेद्धर्मपद्धतिम्

Transliteration

evamātmabhavaṃ kṛtvā jagatsthāvarajaṅgamam | lokānāṃ tu hitārthāya sthāpayeddharmapaddhatim

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ സ്വാത്മത്തിൽ നിന്നു സ്ഥാവര-ജംഗമമായ ലോകത്തെ സൃഷ്ടിച്ച്, ലോകഹിതാർത്ഥം ധർമ്മത്തിന്റെ മാർഗവും ക്രമവും സ്ഥാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• आत्मभवम्: one’s own origin/being
• आत्मभवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः भवः)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Kriyā (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• स्थावरजङ्गमम्: immobile and mobile (beings)
• स्थावरजङ्गमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of जगत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्थावरं च जङ्गमं च)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• हितार्थाय: for the sake of welfare
• हितार्थाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/beneficiary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हितस्य अर्थः)

• स्थापयेत्: should establish
• स्थापयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था + णिच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• धर्मपद्धतिम्: the system/path of dharma
• धर्मपद्धतिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पद्धति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य पद्धतिः)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) within Revā Khaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic creator-deity emanates the worlds of sthāvara and jaṅgama; beneath, sages and beings receive an ordered ‘dharma-path’ depicted as a luminous road or scripture-stream.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (as principle)
• Sūrya (implicit as the praised agent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is not only creative but dharma-establishing; the purpose of cosmic order is the welfare of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is directly named; the verse provides the ethical framework that pilgrimage narratives aim to cultivate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it emphasizes living in alignment with dharma as the intended fruit of devotion.