Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स आत्मभूः सृजद्विश्वं चतुर्भिर्वदनैर्विराट् । ससर्ज वेदांश्चतुरो लोकानां स्थितिहेतवे

Transliteration

sa ātmabhūḥ sṛjadviśvaṃ caturbhirvadanairvirāṭ | sasarja vedāṃścaturo lokānāṃ sthitihetave

Translation

ਉਹ ਸ੍ਵਯੰਭੂ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ, ਵਿਸ਼ਵ-ਵਿਰਾਟ, ਆਪਣੇ ਚਾਰ ਮੁਖਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਜਗਤ ਦੀ ਸ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਥਿਰਤਾ ਲਈ ਚਾਰ ਵੇਦ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕੀਤੇ।

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ātmabhūḥ: the self-born (Brahmā)
• ātmabhūḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + bhū (भू धातु/भू-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आत्मना/स्वयम् भूः = स्वयम्भूः)

• sṛjat: creating
• sṛjat: Karta (Agent-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज् धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; ‘सृजन्’ = creating

• viśvam: the universe
• viśvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• caturbhiḥ: with four
• caturbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• vadanaiḥ: with faces/mouths
• vadanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• virāṭ: Virāṭ (the cosmic being)
• virāṭ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virāj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषनाम

• sasarja: created
• sasarja: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• vedān: the Vedas
• vedān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• caturo: four
• caturo: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन (वैकल्पिक रूप: चतुरः/चतुरो)

• lokānām: of the worlds
• lokānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• sthitihetave: for the purpose/cause of stability
• sthitihetave: Sampradana (Purpose/चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्थितेः हेतुः)

Speaker

Muni (continuing instruction to the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four-faced Brahmā as Virāṭ seated on lotus, emanating the four Vedas as radiant streams or manuscripts from the four mouths; the cosmos unfolding around him in ordered layers (lokas).

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Virāṭ
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Vedas arise to uphold cosmic order; dharma is presented as the stabilizing law of the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse explains the purpose of the Vedas as sustaining the worlds.