Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अहं हि सर्वभूतानां धात्री विश्वं धराम्यहम् । अपवित्रा भविष्यामि एनसा संवृता भृशम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi sarvabhūtānāṃ dhātrī viśvaṃ dharāmyaham | apavitrā bhaviṣyāmi enasā saṃvṛtā bhṛśam

Translation

เรานี่แลเป็นผู้ค้ำจุนสรรพสัตว์ เราแบกรับโลกทั้งปวงไว้ หากเรารับภาระนี้ไว้กับตน เราจักเป็นมลทิน ถูกบาปปกคลุมหนาทึบ

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम् (singular), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nom./acc. समानरूप)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-भावे (indeed/for)

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• धात्री: supporter, sustainer
• धात्री: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचनम्

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

• धरामि: I bear, I support
• धरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (emphatic repetition)

• अपवित्रा: impure
• अपवित्रा: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• भविष्यामि: I shall become
• भविष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• एनसा: by sin, by guilt
• एनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचनम्

• संवृता: covered, enveloped
• संवृता: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + वृ (धातु) → संवृत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• भृशम्: greatly, exceedingly
• भृशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Dharitrī (Earth)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual) / Bhūmi as tīrtha-bhūta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhū-devī speaks as the world-bearing goddess, expressing fear of becoming tainted by sin while holding the cosmos; devas listen in a solemn council.

Characters & Entities

• Dharitrī (Earth)
• Sarvabhūtas
• Brahmahatyā (implied as enas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supportive roles carry sacred responsibility; impurity in the foundation affects all—hence purification must protect the world’s sustainer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is theological, describing Earth’s universal role.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it motivates the need for a compensatory means of purification.