Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

मायामयमिदं विश्वं दृश्यते श्रूयते च यत् । किं भाव्यं किमभाव्यं वा संसारेऽस्मिन्क्षणात्मके

Transliteration

māyāmayamidaṃ viśvaṃ dṛśyate śrūyate ca yat | kiṃ bhāvyaṃ kimabhāvyaṃ vā saṃsāre'sminkṣaṇātmake

Translation

കാണുന്നതും കേൾക്കുന്നതുമായ ഈ വിശ്വം മുഴുവനും മായാമയം. ക്ഷണഭംഗുരമായ ഈ സംസാരത്തിൽ എന്ത് ‘സാധ്യം’, എന്ത് ‘അസാധ്യം’?

Word by Word

• माया-मयम्: illusory; made of māyā
• माया-मयम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘मायया मयम्/मयम्’ (made of illusion) विशेषण (विश्वम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य-सूचक (this)

• विश्वम्: universe/world
• विश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) — is seen

• श्रूयते: is heard
• श्रूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) — is heard

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — and

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (that which)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (what?)

• भाव्यम्: to happen; destined
• भाव्यम्: Sambandha (Predicate/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) → भाव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय/भाव्य, विधेय/भविष्यत्-अर्थ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be/that which will happen’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अभाव्यम्: not to happen; impossible
• अभाव्यम्: Sambandha (Predicate/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ+भाव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य) उपसर्ग/निषेध: अ-, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘not to happen/undestined’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक-निपात) — or

• संसारे: in worldly existence
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in this’

• क्षण-आत्मके: momentary in nature
• क्षण-आत्मके: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘क्षणः आत्मा यस्य’/‘क्षणात्मक’ (momentary in nature) विशेषण (संसारे/अस्मिन्)

Speaker

Wise elder (implied continuation from previous verse; didactic voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise elder teaches: the world appears like a shimmering illusion—forms dissolve into mist; listeners sit in contemplation as the question of ‘possible/impossible’ hangs in the air.

Characters & Entities

• māyā
• saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because the world is māyā-like and transient, rigid ideas of “possible” and “impossible” should be softened; dharma and divine power transcend ordinary expectation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is philosophical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a metaphysical reflection on māyā and impermanence.