Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तृतीयेऽजगरो घोरश्चतुर्थेऽहं भवे वृकः । पंचमे विड्वराहश्च षष्ठेऽहं कृकलासकः

Transliteration

tṛtīye'jagaro ghoraścaturthe'haṃ bhave vṛkaḥ | paṃcame viḍvarāhaśca ṣaṣṭhe'haṃ kṛkalāsakaḥ

Translation

In der dritten Geburt wurde ich zu einem schrecklichen Ajagara (gewaltige Python); in der vierten zu einem Wolf. In der fünften zu einem Eber; und in der sechsten zu einer Eidechse.

Word by Word

• तृतीये: in the third (birth)
• तृतीये: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — (भवे) ‘in the third (birth)’

• अजगरः: a python
• अजगरः: Karta (Predicate-Noun/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• घोरः: terrible
• घोरः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘अजगरः’ इति विशेषणम्

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth (birth)
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — (भवे) ‘in the fourth (birth)’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवे: in (that) birth
• भवे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वृकः: a wolf
• वृकः: Karta (Predicate-Noun/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — जातः (अध्याहृत)

• पञ्चमे: in the fifth (birth)
• पञ्चमे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — (भवे) ‘in the fifth (birth)’

• विड्-वराहः: a filthy boar
• विड्-वराहः: Karta (Predicate-Noun/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विड् (प्रातिपदिक) + वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — विड्वराहः = a boar (living on filth/excrement)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• षष्ठे: in the sixth (birth)
• षष्ठे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — (भवे) ‘in the sixth (birth)’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृकलासकः: a lizard
• कृकलासकः: Karta (Predicate-Noun/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृकलासक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — जातः (अध्याहृत)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (same narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential procession of animal forms: coiled python in shadow, wolf prowling, boar rooting earth, lizard clinging to stone—each framed like a karmic ‘chapter’ with the same subtle soul-light migrating through scenes.

Characters & Entities

• ajagara (python)
• vṛka (wolf)
• varāha (boar)
• kṛkalāsa (lizard)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma can lead to repeated embodiment in instinct-driven forms, underscoring the urgency of dharma and self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed.