Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततः पापावशेषेण पिशाचो निर्जने वने । सहस्रशिश्नः संजातो नित्यं क्षुत्तृषयाकुलः

Transliteration

tataḥ pāpāvaśeṣeṇa piśāco nirjane vane | sahasraśiśnaḥ saṃjāto nityaṃ kṣuttṛṣayākulaḥ

Translation

Dann wurde ich, aufgrund des verbleibenden Restes der Sünde, in einem einsamen Wald zu einem Piśāca und erschien als der „Tausendgliedrige“, stets gequält von Hunger und Durst.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter; then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्’ (thereafter/from that)

• पाप-अवशेषेण: by the remaining sin
• पाप-अवशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अवशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — पापावशेषेण (by/with the remainder of sin)

• पिशाचः: a piśāca (goblin)
• पिशाचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• निर्जने: in a lonely (place)
• निर्जने: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘वने’ इति विशेषणम्

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सहस्र-शिश्नः: one with a thousand phalluses
• सहस्र-शिश्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — बहुशिश्नत्वं सूचयति

• संजातः: was born; arose
• संजातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘संजातः’ = arisen/born

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• क्षुत्-तृषा-आकुलः: afflicted by hunger and thirst
• क्षुत्-तृषा-आकुलः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तृषा (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘पिशाचः’ इति विशेषणम्; क्षुत्तृषयाकुलः = hunger-and-thirst-afflicted

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (a repentant being narrating its former births within the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaunt piśāca in a desolate forest, body marked by grotesque multiplicity (‘sahasra-śiśna’), crouched in perpetual hunger and thirst under a dim sky; twisted trees and barren ground emphasize karmic exile.

Characters & Entities

• piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after a life ends, the residue of wrongdoing can mature into painful states of existence; purification and dharmic conduct are essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on karmic rebirth rather than a place-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated here; the verse is descriptive of karmic result.