Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

शिव उवाच । श्रूयतां वचनं पुत्र मनसोल्हादकारणम् । आदितः सर्व्ववृत्तानां सृष्टि स्थितिकरं महत्

Transliteration

śiva uvāca | śrūyatāṃ vacanaṃ putra manasolhādakāraṇam | āditaḥ sarvvavṛttānāṃ sṛṣṭi sthitikaraṃ mahat

Translation

ശിവൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—പുത്രാ! മനസ്സിന് ആനന്ദകാരണമാകുന്ന എന്റെ വചനങ്ങൾ കേൾക്കുക. ആദിമുതൽ സർവ്വവൃത്താന്തങ്ങളുടെ സൃഷ്ടി-സ്ഥിതിക്കു കാരണമാകുന്ന മഹത്തായ ആഖ്യാനം ഞാൻ പറയും।

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard / please listen
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), आत्मनेपद; विधिलिङ्गार्थे आज्ञा/अनुज्ञा

• वचनम्: speech, statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनसः: of the mind
• मनसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• उल्ल्हादकारणम्: cause of delight
• उल्ल्हादकारणम्: Visheshana (Apposition/विशेषणवत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्ल्हाद (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उल्ल्हादस्य कारणम्)

• आदितः: from the beginning
• आदितः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb); अर्थः—आरम्भे/प्रथमम् (from the beginning)

• सर्ववृत्तानाम्: of all occurrences/activities
• सर्ववृत्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि वृत्तानि)

• सृष्टि: creation
• सृष्टि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थितिकरम्: causing maintenance/sustenance
• स्थितिकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्थितेः करः = स्थितिकरः)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva begins a mind-delighting discourse to Skanda, promising an account from the very beginning—creation and sustenance—while seated in a tranquil sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching joins devotion with cosmology: knowing origins and divine order steadies the mind and supports dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is introductory; it prepares the listener for the broader narration connected to Dharmāraṇya’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an invitation to attentive listening (śravaṇa) of sacred teaching.