Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अथ ब्रह्मा चिरं ध्यात्वा ब्राह्म्यै र्मंत्रैश्च तेजसा । समुत्पन्नं ततः प्राह ब्राह्मणस्त्वं मया कृतः

Transliteration

atha brahmā ciraṃ dhyātvā brāhmyai rmaṃtraiśca tejasā | samutpannaṃ tataḥ prāha brāhmaṇastvaṃ mayā kṛtaḥ

Translation

Então Brahmā, após meditar por longo tempo, e pelo esplendor dos mantras de Brahmā, fez isso manifestar-se; depois disse: «Por mim, foste feito brāhmaṇa.»

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (conjunctive particle): ‘then/now’

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time): ‘for a long time’

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having meditated’

• ब्राह्म्यैः: with brāhmī (Brahmā-related)
• ब्राह्म्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); ‘brāhmī’ = pertaining to Brahmā/brāhmaṇa

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

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

• तेजसा: by (his) radiance/power
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.)

• समुत्पन्नम्: produced, arisen
• समुत्पन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + पद् (धातु) → उत्पन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.) (or प्रथमा with implied ‘idam’); ‘arisen/produced’

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं (adverb): ‘then/from that’

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्राह्मणः: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject of quoted clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.)

• कृतः: made
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); ‘made’

Speaker

Narrator (describing Brahmā’s action and proclamation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā in prolonged meditation, surrounded by a quiet radiance; from his mantra-tejas emerges a visible aura/mark of brāhmaṇa-hood around Viśvāmitra; Brahmā then speaks the decisive sentence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Brāhma-mantras
• Brāhmaṇa status

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine authority and spiritual practice (dhyāna and mantra) can confer sacred identity aligned with dharma and realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse focuses on Brahmā’s proclamation; the broader chapter later anchors the narrative in the Anarta–Śaṅkhatīrtha sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation and Brahmā-mantra potency, implying disciplined contemplation and sacred recitation.