Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

क्षणेन वृद्धिमायांति ततो रेतः प्रवर्तते । रेतसस्तु जगत्सृष्टं तदीशजननेंद्रियम्

Transliteration

kṣaṇena vṛddhimāyāṃti tato retaḥ pravartate | retasastu jagatsṛṣṭaṃ tadīśajananeṃdriyam

Translation

เพียงชั่วขณะก็เพิ่มพูนขึ้น แล้วสารแห่งการกำเนิดก็เริ่มไหลออกมา จากสารนั้นเองโลกทั้งปวงจึงบังเกิด—นี่คืออวัยวะแห่งการให้กำเนิดของพระผู้เป็นเจ้า

Word by Word

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम् (instrumental: in/within a moment)

• वृद्धिम्: growth
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• आयान्ति: they attain
• आयान्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; उपसर्गः आ- (they come/attain)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘thereupon/from that’

• रेतः: semen; generative fluid
• रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• प्रवर्तते: begins to flow; proceeds
• प्रवर्तते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; उपसर्गः प्र-; आत्मनेपदम्

• रेतसः: from semen
• रेतसः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी/षष्ठी एकवचनम्; अत्र पञ्चमी (ablative) ‘from semen’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• सृष्टम्: created
• सृष्टम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सृज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘created’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• ईशजननेन्द्रियम्: the Lord’s generative organ
• ईशजननेन्द्रियम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक) + जनन (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘ईशस्य जनन-इन्द्रियम्’ (the Lord’s generative organ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic cosmogony: a luminous seed/essence emanates and expands into the manifested world; the divine generative organ is suggested iconographically rather than explicitly, using lotus-seed, bindu, or liṅga imagery with cosmic radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Īśa (Lord)
• Creation (sṛṣṭi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation is framed as sacred and Lord-governed: generative power is not merely biological but a divine instrument of cosmic manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated.