Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रथमा मानसी सृष्टिर्द्विजात्यादिर्विनिर्मिता । ततोहमांगिकीं सृष्टिं सृष्टवांस्तत्र नारद

Transliteration

prathamā mānasī sṛṣṭirdvijātyādirvinirmitā | tatohamāṃgikīṃ sṛṣṭiṃ sṛṣṭavāṃstatra nārada

Translation

ആദ്യം മാനസസൃഷ്ടി നിർമ്മിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; അതിൽ ദ്വിജന്മാർ മുതലായവർ ഉദിച്ചു. തുടർന്ന്, ഹേ നാരദാ, ഞാൻ ആംഗിക (ശാരീരിക) സൃഷ്ടി സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• prathamā: first
• prathamā: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mānasī: mental; of the mind
• mānasī: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• sṛṣṭiḥ: creation
• sṛṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dvijātyādiḥ: beginning with the twice-born (classes)
• dvijātyādiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijāti + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): 'dvijātyāḥ ādiḥ'

• vinirmitā: was created/produced
• vinirmitā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + √nirmā (निर्मा) (धातु) → vinirmita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of sequence)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• āṃgikīm: bodily; pertaining to limbs
• āṃgikīm: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āṃgika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• sṛṣṭim: creation
• sṛṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• sṛṣṭavān: having created; created
• sṛṣṭavān: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज्) (धातु) → sṛṣṭavat (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक कर्तरि कृदन्त (Past Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• nārada: O Nārada
• nārada: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (addressing Nārada)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-tier cosmic tableau: above, luminous mind-born beings (dvija-ādi) emerging as thought-forms; below, bodily beings forming from the creator’s limbs, indicating transition from subtle to gross creation; Nārada listens with vīṇā.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nārada
• Dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology presents creation as ordered stages—subtle (mental) preceding gross (bodily)—reflecting hierarchy of consciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the doctrinal prelude within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes stages of creation rather than a rite.