Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

पुनर्यत्सारसर्वस्वं प्रोक्तं तच्छ्रूयतां परम् । अःकारांता अकाराद्या मनवस्ते चतुर्दश

Transliteration

punaryatsārasarvasvaṃ proktaṃ tacchrūyatāṃ param | aḥkārāṃtā akārādyā manavaste caturdaśa

Translation

ഇപ്പോൾ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചതിന്റെ പരമസാരം വീണ്ടും ശ്രവിക്കൂ. ‘അ’യിൽ ആരംഭിച്ച് ‘അഃ’യിൽ അവസാനിക്കുന്ന ആ പതിനാലു മനുക്കൾ ഇവരാണ്.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘again’)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• सारसर्वस्वम्: the whole essence; the quintessence
• सारसर्वस्वम्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार + सर्वस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सारं च तत् सर्वस्वं = ‘the very essence/whole substance’)

• प्रोक्तम्: has been stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (प्रोक्तम् = ‘has been stated’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (श्रूयताम् = ‘let it be heard’)

• परम्: further; next
• परम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: ‘further/next’)

• अःकारान्ताः: ending with ‘aḥ’-kāra
• अःकारान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अःकार + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अःकारः अन्ते येषां ते)

• अकाराद्याः: beginning with ‘a’-kāra
• अकाराद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकार + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अकारः आदिः येषां ते)

• मनवः: Manus
• मनवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्यावाचक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत्/संख्याशब्दः; द्विगु (चत्वारि + दश)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher unfurls a cosmic chart: fourteen Manus arranged like beads on a garland, with the Sanskrit phonemes A … Aḥ framing the sequence; time-wheels (kāla-cakra) in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma is framed across cosmic cycles (manvantaras), governed by successive Manus who uphold order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is referenced; the verse transitions into cosmological enumeration (Manu lineage).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a doctrinal list relevant to dharma across ages.