Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

आत्मानं चापि मेने स कृतकृत्यं नरेश्वरः । ब्रह्मणा स्थापिताः पूर्वं विष्णुना शंकरेण ये

Transliteration

ātmānaṃ cāpi mene sa kṛtakṛtyaṃ nareśvaraḥ | brahmaṇā sthāpitāḥ pūrvaṃ viṣṇunā śaṃkareṇa ye

Translation

നരാധിപൻ താനെ കൃതകൃത്യനെന്ന് കരുതി—ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു, ശങ്കരൻ എന്നിവർ മുൻപ് സ്ഥാപിച്ച ധർമ്മാധാരങ്ങളെ അദ്ദേഹം വീണ്ടും പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചതിനാൽ।

Word by Word

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपात (particle: also)

• मेने: considered/thought
• मेने: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु; मन्यते)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृत: done
• कृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• कृत्यम्: what ought to be done (duty)
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ+यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘कृत-कृत्य’ कर्मधारयः; आत्मानम्-विशेषणम्

• नरेश्वरः: king/lord of men
• नरेश्वरः: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘नर-ईश्वर’ तत्पुरुषः; सः इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ (passive agent)

• स्थापिताः: were established
• स्थापिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) / स्थापयति; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly/before)

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ (passive agent)

• शंकरेण: by Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरेण: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ (passive agent)

• ये: who/which (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma stands in reverence, contemplating the Trimūrti’s ancient foundations; behind him, symbolic forms of Brahmā (four-faced), Viṣṇu (conch-disc), and Śaṅkara (trident) appear as a visionary backdrop; the king’s face shows serene completion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One becomes ‘kṛtakṛtya’ (fulfilled) by upholding and restoring the divine order established by the highest deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, portrayed as a divinely founded sacred sphere connected to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Restoration and re-establishment of divinely instituted sacred structures/ordinances as an act of dharma.