Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

एतत्सर्वमहं ध्याना ज्जानामीह मृगाधिप । इत्युक्ते ध्यानकाष्ठेन त्यक्त्वा सिंहत्वमाशु सः

Transliteration

etatsarvamahaṃ dhyānā jjānāmīha mṛgādhipa | ityukte dhyānakāṣṭhena tyaktvā siṃhatvamāśu saḥ

Translation

“ഹേ മൃഗാധിപാ! ധ്യാനത്താൽ ഞാൻ ഇവിടെ ഇതെല്ലാം അറിയുന്നു.” എന്ന് ധ്യാനകാഷ്ഠൻ പറഞ്ഞതുമാത്രത്തിൽ അവൻ വേഗത്തിൽ സിംഹരൂപം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; एतत्-विशेषण

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्यानात्: from meditation; by meditation
• ध्यानात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; कारणार्थे (from/through meditation)

• जानामि: I know
• जानामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• मृगाधिप: O lord of beasts
• मृगाधिप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मृगाणाम् अधिपः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• उक्ते: when (this) was said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Temporal locus)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → उक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सति-सप्तमी (when it was said)

• ध्यानकाष्ठेन: with the meditation-stick (a piece of wood used in meditation/penance)
• ध्यानकाष्ठेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ध्यानस्य काष्ठम्/ध्यानकाष्ठम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having abandoned)

• सिंहत्वम्: lionhood
• सिंहत्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित) → सिंहत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/रीति-वाचक-अव्यय (quickly)

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

Speaker

Dhyānakāṣṭha (addressing the lion)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer audience (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage Dhyānakāṣṭha, radiant with meditative insight, speaks; the lion’s body dissolves into light and re-forms as a yakṣa/celestial attendant, now humble and relieved.

Characters & Entities

• Dhyānakāṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditative insight (dhyāna-jñāna) grants clarity into karmic causes, and a saint’s truth can catalyze transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly within Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred setting; this verse highlights spiritual power rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is implied as a spiritual discipline, but no formal rite is prescribed.