Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

यत्स्वभावानि सृष्टानि ब्रह्मणा परमेष्ठिना । वर्तंते तत्स्वभा वानि स्वभावो मे ह्यगाधता

Transliteration

yatsvabhāvāni sṛṣṭāni brahmaṇā parameṣṭhinā | vartaṃte tatsvabhā vāni svabhāvo me hyagādhatā

Translation

പരമേഷ്ഠിയായ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് സൃഷ്ടിച്ച സ്വഭാവങ്ങൾ ഏതൊക്കെയോ, ജീവികൾ അതേ സ്വഭാവപ്രകാരം തന്നെയാണ് പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നത്. എന്റെ സ്വഭാവം സത്യത്തിൽ അഗാധം; എളുപ്പത്തിൽ മാറുന്നതല്ല.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धार्थे (relative pronoun: 'whatever/that which')

• स्वभावानि: innate natures
• स्वभावानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; स्वस्य भावः (one's own nature)

• सृष्टानि: created
• सृष्टानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → सृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'created'

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• परमेष्ठिना: by the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• परमेष्ठिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषणरूपेण (epithet)

• वर्तन्ते: proceed/continue
• वर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तस्य (correlative 'that')

• स्वभावानि: natures
• स्वभावानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• स्वभावः: nature
• स्वभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-प्राय (indeed/for)

• अगाधता: unfathomableness/depth
• अगाधता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगाधता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

Speaker

Samudra (Varuṇa; Lord of the Ocean)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha / Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Samudra-deva explains that Brahmā created fixed natures; the sea’s depth symbolizes ‘agādhatā’. The horizon and vast waters visually encode inevitability and order.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)
• Samudra (Ocean)
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation operates through svabhāva (inherent nature); wisdom lies in working with dharma and cosmic law rather than forcing the impossible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram is the broader tīrtha-context, where the ocean-crossing becomes sanctified history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse provides a metaphysical explanation (svabhāva) within the tīrtha narrative.