Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

विश्वस्रष्टा च गोप्ता च पवित्राणां च पावनः । अनादिनिधनो धर्मो धर्मादीनां प्रभुर्हि सः

Transliteration

viśvasraṣṭā ca goptā ca pavitrāṇāṃ ca pāvanaḥ | anādinidhano dharmo dharmādīnāṃ prabhurhi saḥ

Translation

พระองค์ทรงเป็นผู้สร้างจักรวาลและผู้พิทักษ์ เป็นผู้ชำระให้บริสุทธิ์แม้แก่ผู้บริสุทธิ์ พระองค์คือธรรมะเอง ไร้ต้นกำเนิดไร้ความดับสูญ และทรงเป็นเจ้าเหนือธรรมะและสิ่งทั้งปวงที่เนื่องด้วยธรรมะ

Word by Word

• विश्वस्रष्टा: creator of the universe
• विश्वस्रष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + स्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य स्रष्टा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गोप्ता: protector
• गोप्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• पवित्राणाम्: of the pure things
• पवित्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• पावनः: purifier
• पावनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनादिनिधनः: without beginning and without end
• अनादिनिधनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि + निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (अनादिः च निधनः च) → बहुव्रीहि-भावेन विशेषणम् (यस्य आदिः न, निधनं न)

• धर्मः: Dharma / righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धर्मादीनाम्: of Dharma and the rest
• धर्मादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मः आदिः येषाम्)

• प्रभुः: lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (praise/definition of the Lord)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: the Lord as creator and protector—one side showing emanation of worlds, the other sheltering devotees; a radiant scroll/scale symbolizing Dharma emerging from him.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Lord (Bhagavān)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not merely a rule-set; it is grounded in the Divine who creates, protects, and purifies, and who is the ultimate authority of righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as theological praise within a tīrtha chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is primarily doctrinal.