Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततो ध्यानं प्रचक्रे स ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । तदर्थं सर्वदेवानां पुरतः सुस माहितः

Transliteration

tato dhyānaṃ pracakre sa brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | tadarthaṃ sarvadevānāṃ purataḥ susa māhitaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ലോകപിതാമഹനായ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് ആ കാര്യമെന്നോർത്തു, സർവ്വദേവന്മാരുടെ സന്നിധിയിൽ, അത്യന്തം മഹിതനായി, ഗാഢധ്യാനം ആരംഭിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• प्रचक्रे: undertook, began
• प्रचक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्रम्/कृ (धातु; चक्रे-रूपम्)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (perfect), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; प्र+कृ (to undertake) इत्यर्थे 'चक्रे'

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

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (सः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन्)

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-पितामह (प्रातिपदिक; लोक + पितामह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य पितामहः)

• तदर्थम्: for that purpose
• तदर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + अर्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (for that purpose)

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-देव (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वे देवाः)

• पुरतः: in front of, before
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (in front of)

• सुस: well, duly
• सुस: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/निपात; पाठानुसार 'सु' (well) इति; 'सुस' इति संहितारूप/पाठभेदः

• माहितः: honoured, revered
• माहितः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहित (प्रातिपदिक; मह्/मान् धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (ब्रह्मा)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual); action of Brahmā described

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, revered grandsire, enters deep meditation before the assembled gods; the space becomes still, anticipating a supernatural emergence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Sarvadevāḥ (all gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma faces a constraint, the divine response is inner discipline—meditation to find a righteous solution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but this particular verse does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is highlighted as the means; no formal pilgrimage rite is stated here.