Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । अहं पूर्वभवे कश्चित्सारमेयो वरानने । पंपानगरमाश्रित्य पर्यटामि समंततः

Transliteration

rājovāca | ahaṃ pūrvabhave kaścitsārameyo varānane | paṃpānagaramāśritya paryaṭāmi samaṃtataḥ

Translation

Der König sprach: „In einer früheren Geburt, o Schönangesichtige, war ich ein Hund. Nahe der Stadt Pampā wohnend, streifte ich nach allen Richtungen umher.“

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• पूर्वभवे: in a former birth
• पूर्वभवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘पूर्वे भवे’ इति (in a former birth)

• कश्चित्: a certain
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• सारमेयः: dog (offspring of Saramā)
• सारमेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वरानने: O fair-faced lady
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘वरम् आननं यस्याः’ (O fair-faced one)

• पंपानगरम्: the city of Pampā
• पंपानगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पंपा (प्रातिपदिक) + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पंपायाः नगरम्’

• आश्रित्य: having taken shelter in
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having resorted to/after taking shelter’

• पर्यटामि: I wander
• पर्यटामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-टट्/ट (धातु: टट् ‘to wander’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• समन्ततः: on all sides, everywhere
• समन्ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

Speaker

The King (rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pampā-kṣetra (Pampā-nagara vicinity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: वरानना (a fair-faced woman; likely queen/consort or interlocutor in the कथा)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stray dog roaming the streets and outskirts of Pampā city, dusty lanes, pilgrims and merchants in the background, distant temple spires hinting at Śiva’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• king
• Pampā-nagara
• Śiva (implied by later verses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a lowly birth can become spiritually meaningful through proximity to sacred places and contact with dharmic acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pampā-nagara (the Pampā region), introduced as the sacred setting for what follows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse begins a sacred-place narrative that will connect to Śiva-temple worship.