Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माऽपि व्योममार्गेण गतो हंसविमानतः । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु तस्यांतं नाभ्यपद्यत

Transliteration

brahmā'pi vyomamārgeṇa gato haṃsavimānataḥ | divyaṃ varṣasahasraṃ tu tasyāṃtaṃ nābhyapadyata

Translation

பிரம்மாவும் வான்வழியாக ஹம்ஸ விமானத்தில் ஏறிச் சென்றார்; ஆயிரம் தெய்வ ஆண்டுகளிலும் அதன் முடிவை அடையவில்லை।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• व्योममार्गेण: by the path of the sky
• व्योममार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योम + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्योम्नः मार्गः)

• गतः: went, having gone
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (used predicatively: ‘having gone’)

• हंसविमानतः: from the swan-chariot
• हंसविमानतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस + विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (विमान), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हंसस्य विमानम्)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies varṣasahasram)

• वर्षसहस्रम्: a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षाणां सहस्रम्)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/emphasis)

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

• अन्तम्: end, limit
• अन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अभ्यपद्यत: reached, attained
• अभ्यपद्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ananta-liṅga/Jyotirliṅga (conceptual within Arbuda narrative)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā rides the Haṃsa-vimāna along the sky-path, ascending beside an immeasurable pillar of light; ages pass, yet the summit never arrives, emphasizing scale and futility of measurement.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Haṃsa-vimāna
• Liṅga (context: its end)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Absolute is infinite; even the creator’s reach across cosmic time cannot circumscribe Śiva’s liṅga-form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda liṅga-mahātmya context is emphasized; the verse underscores the liṅga’s boundlessness rather than a named bathing spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative assertion of the liṅga’s immeasurable nature.