Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स विद्धगात्रः सहसा शिवद्वारि गतासुकः । जातोऽस्म्यहं कुले राज्ञां प्रभावाच्छिवसन्निधेः

Transliteration

sa viddhagātraḥ sahasā śivadvāri gatāsukaḥ | jāto'smyahaṃ kule rājñāṃ prabhāvācchivasannidheḥ

Translation

Am Leib durchbohrt, starb er plötzlich am Tor Śivas. Durch die Macht der Nähe zu Śiva wurde ich damals in ein Königsgeschlecht hineingeboren.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• विद्धगात्रः: whose body was pierced
• विद्धगात्रः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्ध (√व्यध्, धातु; कृदन्त) + गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘विद्धानि गात्राणि यस्य सः’

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (suddenly)

• शिवद्वारि: at Śiva's door
• शिवद्वारि: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śivasya dvāri)

• गतासुकः: lifeless, dead
• गतासुकः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (√गम्, कृदन्त) + असु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘गताः असवः यस्य सः’ (lifeless)

• जातः: born
• जातः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present); उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular); सर्वनाम

• कुले: in the family
• कुले: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/lineage)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative singular)

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• राज्ञाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• प्रभावात्: from the power/effect
• प्रभावात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन (ablative singular)

• शिवसन्निधेः: of Śiva's presence/proximity
• शिवसन्निधेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (genitive singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śivasya sannidheḥ)

Speaker

Rājā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhāminī (beloved) is implied in the surrounding sequence (explicit in 4.22)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The wounded figure collapses at the Śiva temple doorway; above, a subtle aura suggests Śiva’s unseen grace; the narrative shifts to a royal cradle or coronation motif indicating rebirth among kings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proximity to Śiva (śiva-sannidhi) is portrayed as spiritually potent, capable of transforming destiny and future birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sanctity of Śiva’s temple threshold (śiva-dvāra) is emphasized; no specific named tīrtha is stated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the spiritual efficacy of being in Śiva’s presence at death.