Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

एकविंशतिलक्षाणि एकैकस्य च योनयः । कुरु त्वं सकलं चाशु इत्युक्त्वांतरधीयत । ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं सर्वं ब्रह्मांडं च यथोदितम्

Transliteration

ekaviṃśatilakṣāṇi ekaikasya ca yonayaḥ | kuru tvaṃ sakalaṃ cāśu ityuktvāṃtaradhīyata | brahmaṇā nirmitaṃ sarvaṃ brahmāṃḍaṃ ca yathoditam

Translation

“Bagi setiap golongan ada dua puluh satu lakh kelahiran. Ciptakanlah semuanya dengan segera.” Setelah bersabda demikian, Tuhan pun ghaib. Maka Brahmā membentuk segala-galanya, dan telur kosmik terwujud tepat seperti yang telah diisytiharkan.

Word by Word

• एकविंशति-लक्षाणि: twenty-one lakhs
• एकविंशति-लक्षाणि: Karma/Prameya (Counted total)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु (एकविंशतिः लक्षाणि)

• एकैकस्य: of each (one)
• एकैकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-सम्बन्धे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (एकः च एकः → each one)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• योनयः: species / wombs
• योनयः: Karta (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुरु: make
• कुरु: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सकलम्: the whole (of it)
• सकलम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वम् इत्यर्थे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/वेगार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having said

• अन्तर्धीयत: disappeared
• अन्तर्धीयत: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर् + धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातु: धा (to place) with उपसर्ग अन्तर् → to disappear

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्मितम्: created
• निर्मितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मा (धातु) → निर्मित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma/Visheya (That which is created)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the cosmic egg (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma/Apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/अनुरूपार्थक-अव्यय (as/according as)

• उदितम्: as stated / as spoken
• उदितम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + इ (धातु) → उदित (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वं/ब्रह्माण्डम्)

Speaker

Śrī Viṣṇu (first half), Narrator (closing statement of completion)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu finishes the instruction and vanishes into radiance; Brahmā, energized, rapidly manifests the ordered cosmos—countless life-forms implied by swirling patterns and emerging landscapes within the cosmic egg.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (implied)
• Brahmā
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance initiates, and disciplined execution completes; cosmic order arises when instruction (śruti-like command) is followed faithfully.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised; the verse focuses on universal creation and the doctrine of many births.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it gives a cosmological count and command to create rather than a ritual.