Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सुपवित्रं महातेजाः प्रविश्य जलसा गरे । उद्धृता च मही सर्वा ससागरमहीधरा

Transliteration

supavitraṃ mahātejāḥ praviśya jalasā gare | uddhṛtā ca mahī sarvā sasāgaramahīdharā

Translation

نہایت پاکیزہ اور عظیم نور والا رب پانی کی گہرائیوں میں داخل ہوا؛ اور پوری زمین—اپنے سمندروں اور پہاڑوں سمیت—اُٹھا لی گئی۔

Word by Word

• सुपवित्रम्: very pure (thing/form)
• सुपवित्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अतिशयेन पवित्रम्)

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (greatly radiant)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक (having entered)

• जलसा: with/in water
• जलसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd case), एकवचन

• गरे: in the abyss/depth
• गरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th case), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• उद्धृता: was lifted up
• उद्धृता: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वा: entire
• सर्वा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ससागरमहीधरा: together with oceans and mountains
• ससागरमहीधरा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + सागर + महीधरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सागरैः सह महीधरा इति) विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing, supremely pure deity plunges into the dark watery abyss; the Earth—complete with oceans and mountains—is lifted upward in a single salvific motion.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha
• Mahī (Earth)
• Sāgara (oceans)
• Mahīdharā (mountains)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine purity and power restore stability to creation; the sacred preserves the world when it sinks into chaos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; the verse functions as a mahatmya-style glorification of the Lord’s world-saving act within the Dharmāraṇya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is explicit; it is a praise passage (stuti/ākhyāna) rather than a vrata or dāna instruction.