Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अव्यक्ते जायते जंतुरव्यक्ते च प्रलीयते । मध्ये व्यक्तवदाभाति जलबुद्बुदसन्निभः

Transliteration

avyakte jāyate jaṃturavyakte ca pralīyate | madhye vyaktavadābhāti jalabudbudasannibhaḥ

Translation

జీవుడు అవ్యక్తం నుండి జన్మించి అవ్యక్తంలోనే లయమవుతాడు; మధ్యలో మాత్రం వ్యక్తమైనట్టుగా కనిపిస్తాడు—నీటి బుడగవలె.

Word by Word

• अव्यक्ते: in the unmanifest
• अव्यक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• जायते: is born / arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• जन्तुः: the living being
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• अव्यक्ते: in the unmanifest
• अव्यक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• प्रलीयते: dissolves / is absorbed
• प्रलीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle / in between
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• व्यक्तवत्: as if manifest
• व्यक्तवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व्यक्त + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial ‘as if manifest’)

• आभाति: appears / shines forth
• आभाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √भा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• जलबुद्बुदसन्निभः: like a water-bubble
• जलबुद्बुदसन्निभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + बुद्बुद + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (जन्तु-विशेषण)

Speaker

Unknown (context not provided; likely a Purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm water surface with a single bubble rising, shimmering briefly with reflections of worlds, then dissolving back; above, faint silhouettes of birth and death scenes appear like reflections.

Characters & Entities

• Avyakta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life’s manifest phase is brief and fragile; recognizing its bubble-like nature supports detachment and spiritual striving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a universal contemplation on manifestation and dissolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is contemplative, suited for meditation on impermanence.