Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अनित्यनित्यरूपाय सदसत्पतये नमः । नमस्ते भक्तकृपया स्वेच्छावि ष्कृतविग्रह

Transliteration

anityanityarūpāya sadasatpataye namaḥ | namaste bhaktakṛpayā svecchāvi ṣkṛtavigraha

Translation

അനിത്യവും നിത്യവും ആയ രൂപങ്ങളിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷനാകുന്നവനേ, സത്-അസത്‌കളുടെ അധിപതേ, നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം. ഭക്തകരുണയാൽ സ്വേച്ഛയായി വിഗ്രഹം പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കുന്നവനേ, നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം.

Word by Word

• anitya: impermanent
• anitya: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• nitya: eternal
• nitya: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• rūpāya: to the form
• rūpāya: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• anityanityarūpāya: to the one whose form is both impermanent and eternal
• anityanityarūpāya: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anitya + nitya + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘अनित्य-नित्य-रूप’ = having forms (as) impermanent and eternal

• sat: being; existent
• sat: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• asat: non-being; non-existent
• asat: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• pataye: to the lord
• pataye: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• sadasatpataye: to the lord of the existent and non-existent
• sadasatpataye: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + asat + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः: ‘सत्-असत्-पति’ = lord of being and non-being

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः (salutation)

• namas: salutation
• namas: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः (salutation)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namaste: salutations to you
• namaste: Sambodhana/Prayojana (salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas + te (अव्यय + सर्वनाम)
• Form: सन्धि-रूपम्; ‘नमस् ते’ (salutation to you)

• bhakta: devotee
• bhakta: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• kṛpayā: by compassion
• kṛpayā: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• bhaktakṛpayā: by compassion for devotees
• bhaktakṛpayā: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta + kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘भक्त-कृपा’ = compassion (towards/for) devotees

• sva: own
• sva: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• icchā: will; desire
• icchā: Samāsa-aṅga (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• viṣkṛta: manifested; made visible
• viṣkṛta: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣ + kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → viṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (compound member)

• vigraha: embodied form
• vigraha: Sambodhana (addressed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः (vocative sense possible)

• svecchāviṣkṛtavigraha: O you whose form is manifested by your own will
• svecchāviṣkṛtavigraha: Sambodhana (addressed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + icchā + viṣkṛta + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: ‘स्वेच्छया अविष्कृतः विग्रहः यस्य सः’ = he whose form is manifested by his own will

Speaker

Unspecified (Devotional eulogy within Dharmāraṇya narrative; likely a sage or narrator-voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formless radiance (nirākāra) condenses into a chosen divine form (svecchā-viṣkṛta-vigraha) as devotees look on; the scene balances transcendence and approachable iconography.

Characters & Entities

• Bhaktas (Devotees)
• Sad-Asat
• Divine Manifest Form (Vigraha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is both transcendent and accessible: beyond change, yet willingly taking a worshipable form out of mercy for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No distinct tīrtha is named; the verse supports pilgrimage devotion by legitimizing deity-form worship encountered at sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is described; the implication is devotional worship (pūjā) of the manifested vigraha with gratitude.