Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इति चिंतयतस्तस्य मातिरेवमजायत । अहं वै माहिषं रूपं सुमहांतं मनोहरम्

Transliteration

iti ciṃtayatastasya mātirevamajāyata | ahaṃ vai māhiṣaṃ rūpaṃ sumahāṃtaṃ manoharam

Translation

Tatkala dia merenung demikian, lahirlah tekad ini dalam dirinya: “Aku akan menyarung rupa seekor kerbau yang besar lagi menawan.”

Word by Word

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

• चिन्तयतः: of (him) thinking
• चिन्तयतः: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘तस्य’ इत्यनेन सह

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मतिः: thought / idea
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एवम्: in this manner
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अजायत: arose / was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• माहिषम्: buffalo-like / of a buffalo
• माहिषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (रूपम्)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सुमहान्तम्: very great
• सुमहान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महान्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपसर्गवत् उपपद: सु-; विशेषण (रूपम्)

• मनोहरम्: charming / delightful
• मनोहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (रूपम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; Dharma is the agent of the resolve)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharma’s inner resolve crystallizes: he will take a magnificent, beautiful buffalo form—an unexpected yet protective transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Vatsanābha
• Mahiṣa (buffalo form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma actively supports sincere tapas—divine help arises when devotion is steadfast.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Setukhaṇḍa’s Setu-kṣetra milieu; the verse itself focuses on Dharma’s intervention.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative moment describing Dharma’s decision to protect the ascetic.