Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततो ब्रह्मा चिरं ध्यात्वा तानुवाच दिवौकसः । विश्वामित्र वसिष्ठाभ्यां युद्धमेतद्व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

tato brahmā ciraṃ dhyātvā tānuvāca divaukasaḥ | viśvāmitra vasiṣṭhābhyāṃ yuddhametadvyavasthitam

Translation

പിന്നീട് ബ്രഹ്മാവ് ദീർഘനേരം ധ്യാനിച്ച് സ്വർഗ്ഗവാസികളോടു പറഞ്ഞു— ‘ഈ യുദ്ധം വിശ്വാമിത്രനും വസിഷ്ഠനും തമ്മിൽ നിശ്ചിതമായി നിലകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.’

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/कालवाचक

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (for a long time)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having meditated/thought’

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• उवाच: said, spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दिवौकसः: O heavenly dwellers / the celestials
• दिवौकसः: Sambodhana (Addressee/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन? actually प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन/षष्ठी?; रूपम्: ‘दिवौकसः’ = पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन (divaukasaḥ = the dwellers in heaven); तत्पुरुषः (दिवि ओकः यस्य)

• विश्वामित्र: O Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्र: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• वसिष्ठाभ्याम्: by/with Vasiṣṭha (and another) / by the two (Vasiṣṭha and …)
• वसिष्ठाभ्याम्: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), द्विवचन

• युद्धम्: battle, war
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (युद्धम्) इति विशेषणम्

• व्यवस्थितम्: has been arranged/settled
• व्यवस्थितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (युद्धम्) इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (divaukasaḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā sits in deep meditation, eyes half-closed; after a long pause he opens his eyes and addresses the devas, naming the true cause: the duel of Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Before remedy comes diagnosis: wise leadership reflects deeply, then names the root cause without confusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it frames the crisis within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; Brahmā’s meditation and counsel are described, not a public rite.