Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ग्रहचक्रं सनक्षत्रं युगा मन्वन्तरादयः । यच्चान्यदपि तत्सर्वं संभूतं लोकसाक्षिकम्

Transliteration

grahacakraṃ sanakṣatraṃ yugā manvantarādayaḥ | yaccānyadapi tatsarvaṃ saṃbhūtaṃ lokasākṣikam

Translation

നക്ഷത്രങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ഗ്രഹചക്രം, യുഗങ്ങൾ, മന്വന്തരങ്ങൾ മുതലായവയും മറ്റെന്തെല്ലാം ഉണ്ടോ അതെല്ലാം—ലോകങ്ങളുടെ സാക്ഷിയായി, ജഗദാധാരരൂപമായി ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ग्रहचक्रम्: the cycle/orbit of planets
• ग्रहचक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• सनक्षत्रम्: together with the stars
• सनक्षत्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-समासपूर्वपद) + नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'स-' = 'सहित' (with) (neuter nom/acc sg; with the stars)

• युगाः: the ages (yugas)
• युगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative plural)

• मन्वन्तरादयः: manvantaras and the rest
• मन्वन्तरादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्वन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural); '...आदयः' = 'and others beginning with ...'

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun; neuter nom/acc sg)

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

• अन्यत्: other (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (demonstrative; neuter nom/acc sg)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• सम्भूतम्: arisen/produced
• सम्भूतम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु) → सम्भूत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• लोकसाक्षिकम्: with the world as witness
• लोकसाक्षिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg); 'लोकस्य साक्षी' इति (having the world as witness)

Speaker

Śiva (contextual; confirmed explicitly at 8.39)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed as ‘putra/vatsa’ in this didactic register)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic diagram-like vision: concentric wheels of planets and nakṣatras encircling the worlds, with yuga and manvantara cycles indicated as repeating bands; the cosmos presented as a witnessing order.

Characters & Entities

• Graha
• Nakṣatra
• Yuga
• Manvantara
• Loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic cycles (astral and temporal) are not merely physical—they serve as the ordered ‘witness’ that sustains worldly experience and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is universal in scope.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.