Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दशोत्तरेण पयसा वृतं तच्चापि तेजसा । तेजश्च वायुना वायुर्नभ साहंतया च तत्

Transliteration

daśottareṇa payasā vṛtaṃ taccāpi tejasā | tejaśca vāyunā vāyurnabha sāhaṃtayā ca tat

Translation

ആ ആവരണത്തിന് പുറത്തായി അതിനേക്കാൾ പത്തിരട്ടി ജലാവരണം; അതിന് പുറത്തായി വീണ്ടും അഗ്നി (തേജസ്) ആവരണം. അഗ്നിയെ വായു, വായുവിനെ ആകാശം മൂടുന്നു—ഓരോന്നും മുൻപത്തേതിനെക്കാൾ പത്തിരട്ടി അധികപരിമാണത്തിൽ।

Word by Word

• दशोत्तरेण: by the tenfold (layer)
• दशोत्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशोत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं (प्रयोगे साधारणतया), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular); समासः—दश + उत्तर (तत्पुरुष: ‘ten-fold/ten plus’)

• पयसा: by water
• पयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• वृतम्: covered
• वृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (तत्/ब्रह्माण्डम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थे/समुच्चये (also/even)

• तेजसा: by fire/energy (tejas)
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• तेजः: fire/energy
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

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

• वायुना: by wind
• वायुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नभः: sky/ether
• नभः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• साहन्तया: by (its) sustaining force/endurance
• साहन्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular); पाठभेदसम्भवः—‘सहन्तया/सहन्त्या’ इति (by endurance/force)

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

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Concentric translucent layers around the cosmic egg: an oceanic ring (water), a blazing aureole (fire), a swirling current (wind), and a vast clear dome (space), each larger than the last, marked with subtle ‘tenfold’ scale cues.

Characters & Entities

• Water (payas)
• Tejas (fire)
• Vāyu (wind)
• Nabhas (space/ether)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Manifest reality is layered and graduated; contemplating the elemental sheaths encourages detachment and insight into what lies beyond the elements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the content is cosmological (elemental enclosures).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.