Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6
Devanagari script
आसीदिदं तमोभूतमप्रज्ञातमलक्षणम् । अप्रतर्क्यमविज्ञेयं प्रसुप्तमिव सर्वतः
Transliteration
āsīdidaṃ tamobhūtamaprajñātamalakṣaṇam | apratarkyamavijñeyaṃ prasuptamiva sarvataḥ
Translation
ในปฐมกาล สิ่งทั้งปวงเป็นดุจความมืด—ไม่ปรากฏ ไม่อาจรู้ได้ ไร้ลักษณะ; เกินกว่าการคาดคะเนและหยั่งรู้ไม่ได้ ราวกับหลับใหลอยู่ทุกทิศ
Word by Word
आसीत्was
आसीत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
इदम्this (universe)
इदम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
तमः-भूतम्become darkness / dark
तमः-भूतम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तमः भूते/तमोमयम्)
अ-प्रज्ञातम्unknown
अ-प्रज्ञातम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र + ज्ञा (धातु) → प्रज्ञात (कृदन्त) with नञ्-प्रत्यय (अ-)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)
अ-लक्षणम्without characteristics
अ-लक्षणम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootलक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) with नञ्-प्रत्यय (अ-)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास (अलक्षण = लक्षणरहित)
अ-प्रतर्क्यम्inconceivable
अ-प्रतर्क्यम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रतर्क्य (कृदन्त; प्रति + तर्क् धातु + यत्) with नञ्-प्रत्यय (अ-)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive)
अ-विज्ञेयम्unknowable
अ-विज्ञेयम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootवि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञेय (कृदन्त; यत्) with नञ्-प्रत्यय (अ-)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive)
प्रसुप्तम्asleep
प्रसुप्तम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र + स्वप् (धातु) → प्रसुप्त (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)
इवas if
इव:
Upamana (Simile-marker/उपमान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमान-बोधक अव्यय (particle of comparison)
सर्वतःeverywhere
सर्वतः:
Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसर्वतः (अव्यय; सर्व + तस्)
Formअव्यय (adverb), दिशार्थ/पर्याय (everywhere, on all sides)
Speaker
Mārkaṇḍeya
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A cosmogonic void: the universe as featureless darkness, unknowable and beyond reasoning, like a sleeping expanse before awakening into form.
FAQs
Creation is portrayed as emergence from the unmanifest; spiritual knowledge likewise awakens from ignorance (tamas).
None directly; this is a cosmological setup within the Ravi-tīrtha chapter.
None.