Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

भूतेन्द्रियान्तः करणप्रधानपुरुषात्मकम् । जगद्वै ह्येतदखिलं तदा भेदः किमात्मकः

Transliteration

bhūtendriyāntaḥ karaṇapradhānapuruṣātmakam | jagadvai hyetadakhilaṃ tadā bhedaḥ kimātmakaḥ

Translation

โลกทั้งสิ้นนี้แท้จริงประกอบด้วยธาตุทั้งหลาย อินทรีย์ เครื่องใน (จิตใจ) ประธาน และปุรุษะ หากเป็นเช่นนั้นแล้ว ‘ความแตกต่าง’ จะมีสาระเป็นสิ่งใดกันเล่า?

Word by Word

• भूतेन्द्रियान्तःकरणप्रधानपुरुषात्मकम्: having the nature of elements, senses, inner organ, Pradhāna and Puruṣa
• भूतेन्द्रियान्तःकरणप्रधानपुरुषात्मकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तःकरण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (consisting of elements, senses, inner organ, Pradhāna, and Puruṣa)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: for; indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक-सर्वनाम

• अखिलम्: entire; all
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

• भेदः: difference; division
• भेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• किमात्मकः: of what nature?
• किमात्मकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-तत्पुरुष (कस्य/किम्-आत्मकः = of what nature?)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revā-khaṇḍa narrative voice; philosophical instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative diagram-like scene: the five elements, senses, mind, Pradhāna, and Puruṣa depicted as concentric layers dissolving into a single luminous awareness; the river flows as a boundary between analysis and realization.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If all phenomena are made of shared principles (tattvas), ultimate separateness cannot be essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā region), though the verse itself is metaphysical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a reflection on the nature of reality and difference.