Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यो जीवकलया विश्वं व्याप्य तिष्ठति देहिनाम् । न ज्ञायते न च ग्राह्यो न भेद्यश्चापि जायते

Transliteration

yo jīvakalayā viśvaṃ vyāpya tiṣṭhati dehinām | na jñāyate na ca grāhyo na bhedyaścāpi jāyate

Translation

எவர் தனது ஜீவசக்தியால் உலகம் முழுவதும் வியாபித்து உயிரினங்களுக்குள் உறைகிறாரோ, அவரை அறியவோ, பற்றவோ அல்லது பிளக்கவோ இயலாது.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• जीवकलया: by (his) living portion/energy
• जीवकलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव-कला (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: जीव + कला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (life + portion/part)

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्याप्य: having pervaded
• व्याप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) ‘व्याप्य’ (having pervaded); धातु: आप् with उपसर्ग वि (to pervade)

• तिष्ठति: abides
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: स्था (to stand/abide)

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• ज्ञायते: is known
• ज्ञायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; ‘is known’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

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

• ग्राह्यः: graspable
• ग्राह्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/potential passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be grasped’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• भेद्यः: breakable, divisible
• भेद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be split/pierced’

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• जायते: is born/arises
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: जन् (to be born/arise)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm, cosmic visualization: Śiva’s subtle presence radiates through the universe and within beings; attempts to grasp him dissolve into light and space.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (implied)
• dehin (embodied beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is not an ordinary being subject to capture or injury; the divine pervades all life and transcends physical control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is theological within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter; the specific site is not named in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about Śiva’s nature.