Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यद्वा देवा न संयांति पारं ये च परस्परम् । तत्सृष्टसृष्टसृष्टेषु गणना काऽस्मदादिषु

Transliteration

yadvā devā na saṃyāṃti pāraṃ ye ca parasparam | tatsṛṣṭasṛṣṭasṛṣṭeṣu gaṇanā kā'smadādiṣu

Translation

Если даже боги не могут достичь предельной границы друг друга, то среди творений, рождающихся из творений вновь и вновь, — какое же может быть счисление или сравнение для таких, как мы?

Word by Word

• यद्वा: or else
• यद्वा: Adverbial (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् + वा (अव्यय-समुच्चय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक) — ‘or else/alternatively’

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural

• न: not
• न: Adverbial (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation particle

• संयान्ति: reach/attain
• संयान्ति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural present

• पारम्: the far shore/limit
• पारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject of relative clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — relative pronoun nominative plural

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

• परस्परम्: mutually
• परस्परम्: Adverbial (Reciprocal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb ‘mutually/each other’

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular (correlative)

• सृष्टसृष्टसृष्टेषु: among creations-of-creations-of-creations
• सृष्टसृष्टसृष्टेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टसृष्टसृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; सृष्ट + सृष्ट + सृष्ट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — neuter locative plural; बहुस्तरीय तत्पुरुष (nested determinative)

• गणना: counting/numbering
• गणना: Karta/Predicate-noun (Subject/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — feminine nominative singular

• का: what (is)
• का: Karta/Predicate (Interrogative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — interrogative pronoun nominative singular

• अस्मदादिषु: among us and others
• अस्मदादिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Reference set/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मदादि (प्रातिपदिक; अस्मद् + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — masculine locative plural

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deductive, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages contemplate an infinite cascade of worlds—creation emerging from creation—while distant deities appear unable to reach each other’s limits; the foreground shows a human figure shrinking in scale, hands folded, embodying humility.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches humility: if even devas cannot fathom ultimate limits, humans should abandon prideful comparisons and rest in reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse is a cosmological reflection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a contemplative statement discouraging arrogant reckoning.