Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

भूतग्रामैश्चतुर्भिश्च नानाभेदैः समन्वितैः । जातं संसारचक्रं च नित्यानित्यविलक्षणम्

Transliteration

bhūtagrāmaiścaturbhiśca nānābhedaiḥ samanvitaiḥ | jātaṃ saṃsāracakraṃ ca nityānityavilakṣaṇam

Translation

നാനാഭേദങ്ങളാൽ സമന്വിതമായ നാല് ഭൂതസമൂഹങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നാണ് ഈ സംസാരചക്രം ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചത്—അതിൽ നിത്യവും അനിത്യവും ഇരുവിന്റെയും ലക്ഷണങ്ങൾ കാണപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• भूत: elements, beings
• भूत: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग)

• ग्रामैः: by groups of elements
• ग्रामैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समास: भूत-ग्राम (तत्पुरुष: ‘भूतानां ग्रामः/समूहः’)

• चतुर्भिः: by four
• चतुर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाना: various
• नाना: Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial prefix in compound)

• भेदैः: with various distinctions
• भेदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समास: नाना-भेद (कर्मधारय: ‘नानाविधाः भेदाः’)

• समन्वितैः: endowed with, accompanied by
• समन्वितैः: Karana (Instrument/Accompaniment)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; ‘युक्त/combined’

• जातम्: arisen, come into being
• जातम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संसार: cycle of worldly existence
• संसार: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग)

• चक्रम्: wheel, cycle
• चक्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: संसार-चक्र (तत्पुरुष: ‘संसारस्य चक्रम्’)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नित्य: eternal
• नित्य: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग)

• अनित्य: non-eternal
• अनित्य: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग)

• विलक्षणम्: distinct from (both) eternal and non-eternal
• विलक्षणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विलक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: नित्य-अनित्य-विलक्षण (द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद + तत्पुरुषार्थ: ‘नित्यानित्ययोः विलक्षणम्’)

Speaker

Gaṇeśa (inferred from the surrounding address to Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic wheel of saṃsāra formed from elemental motifs (earth, water, fire, air), branching into countless forms; at the center stands a still, luminous witness indicating the nitya amid anitya.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtas (elements)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṃsāra arises from elemental differentiation; discernment is needed to separate the imperishable truth from perishable appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa frames the teaching within Kedāra’s sacred landscape, though the verse itself focuses on metaphysics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is explanatory about the origin and nature of saṃsāra.