Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ततो गतेषु देवेषु ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । निशां सस्मार भगवान्स्वां तनुं पूर्वसंभवाम्

Transliteration

tato gateṣu deveṣu brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | niśāṃ sasmāra bhagavānsvāṃ tanuṃ pūrvasaṃbhavām

Translation

Nang makaalis na ang mga diyos, si Brahmā—ang dakilang ninuno ng mga daigdig—ay naalaala ang Gabi, ang sariling anyo niyang minsang lumitaw noong unang panahon.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = thereafter/then

• gateṣu: when (they) had gone; in the departed (state)
• gateṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘गत’ — Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन), Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं) agreeing with ‘देवेषु’

• deveṣu: among the gods
• deveṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• lokapitāmahaḥ: the grandsire of the worlds
• lokapitāmahaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य पितामहः) ; पुंलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• niśām: Night (as a personified goddess)
• niśām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sasmāra: remembered; called to mind
• sasmāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bhagavān: the Lord; the Blessed one
• bhagavān: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• svām: his own
• svām: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘तनुम्’ विशेषण

• tanum: body; form
• tanum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• pūrvasaṃbhavām: born earlier; of prior origin
• pūrvasaṃbhavām: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhavā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (पूर्वा सा सम्भवा यस्याः/या) ; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘तनुम्’ विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After the gods depart, Brahmā sits in solitude; the cosmos is hushed. He inwardly remembers the primordial Night, and the atmosphere darkens into a sacred, velvety stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Niśā (Night)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time and its powers are personified in Purāṇic dharma: cosmic order is maintained through divine manifestations and remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is cosmological and narrative rather than tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.