Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

स्वायंभुवश्च स्वारोचिरौत्तमो रैवतस्तथा । तामसश्चाक्षुषः षष्ठस्तथा वैवस्वतोऽधुना

Transliteration

svāyaṃbhuvaśca svārocirauttamo raivatastathā | tāmasaścākṣuṣaḥ ṣaṣṭhastathā vaivasvato'dhunā

Translation

स्वायंभुव, स्वारोचिष, उत्तम आणि रैवत; त्यानंतर तामस, सहावा चाक्षुष; आणि आता वैवस्वत (मनु) आहे।

Word by Word

• स्वायंभुवः: Svāyambhuva (Manu)
• स्वायंभुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वायम्भुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Manu-name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वारोचिः: Svārociṣa (Manu)
• स्वारोचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वारोचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Manu-name)

• औत्तमः: Auttama (Manu)
• औत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Manu-name)

• रैवतः: Raivata (Manu)
• रैवतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Manu-name)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise/also’)

• तामसः: Tāmasa (Manu)
• तामसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Manu-name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आक्षुषः: Ākṣuṣa (Manu)
• आक्षुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्षुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Manu-name)

• षष्ठः: the sixth
• षष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ordinal adjective)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise/also’)

• वैवस्वतः: Vaivasvata (Manu)
• वैवस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Manu-name)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘now/at present’)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential procession of Manus—Svāyambhuva, Svārociṣa, Uttama, Raivata, Tāmasa, Cākṣuṣa, and Vaivasvata—each holding a staff or scripture, moving along a time-river toward the present.

Characters & Entities

• Svāyaṃbhuva Manu
• Svārociṣa Manu
• Uttama Manu
• Raivata Manu
• Tāmasa Manu
• Cākṣuṣa Manu
• Vaivasvata Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic time is structured into manvantaras, each guided by a Manu who establishes dharma for that era.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is cosmological enumeration rather than tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.