Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कथं संहरते विश्वं कथं चास्ते महार्णवे । कथं च सृजते विश्वं कथं धारयते प्रजाः

Transliteration

kathaṃ saṃharate viśvaṃ kathaṃ cāste mahārṇave | kathaṃ ca sṛjate viśvaṃ kathaṃ dhārayate prajāḥ

Translation

Đấng Thiêng Liêng thu nhiếp vũ trụ bằng cách nào, và ngự trong đại hải bằng cách nào? Ngài tạo dựng vũ trụ ra sao, và nâng đỡ muôn loài chúng sinh thế nào?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Question/Adverbial (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• संहरते: withdraws, dissolves
• संहरते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Question/Adverbial (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• आस्ते: remains, abides
• आस्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महार्णवे: in the great ocean
• महार्णवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् अर्णवः)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Question/Adverbial (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• सृजते: creates, emits
• सृजते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Question/Adverbial (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• धारयते: supports, sustains
• धारयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रजाः: creatures, subjects
• प्रजाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

An inquiring sage (listener) within the Revā Khaṇḍa dialogue

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revatī/Narmadā (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage asks fourfold cosmological questions; behind him a vision: the universe dissolving into waters, the deity abiding upon/within the cosmic ocean, then emanating creation and holding beings like a pillar.

Characters & Entities

• Mahārṇava
• Viśva
• Prajā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It directs the mind from mere geography to metaphysics—seeing the sacred river tradition within the larger Purāṇic vision of creation, preservation, and dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single tīrtha is named here; the question prepares for Revā/Narmadā’s cosmic status in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a set of theological questions.