Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्राग्जन्मवासनाभिश्च सर्वभक्षोऽस्मि निर्घृणः । विदुषामपि दुर्लंघ्या प्रकृतिर्वासनामयी

Transliteration

prāgjanmavāsanābhiśca sarvabhakṣo'smi nirghṛṇaḥ | viduṣāmapi durlaṃghyā prakṛtirvāsanāmayī

Translation

Wegen der latenten Prägungen früherer Geburten wurde ich zu einem erbarmungslosen Allesfresser. Eine aus solchen Trieben gewobene Natur ist schwer zu überwinden — selbst für Gelehrte.

Word by Word

• प्राक्: formerly, in a previous (time)
• प्राक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: formerly)

• जन्मवासनाभिः: by the impressions from previous births
• जन्मवासनाभिः: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वासना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण/हेतु), बहुवचन (instrumental plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (janmanaḥ vāsanābhiḥ)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सर्वभक्षः: an eater of everything
• सर्वभक्षः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘सर्वं भक्षयति/भक्ष्यं यस्य’ (one who eats everything)

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

• निर्घृणः: merciless
• निर्घृणः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्घृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इति विशेषण

• विदुषाम्: of the wise
• विदुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• दुर्लङ्घ्या: hard to overcome
• दुर्लङ्घ्या: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लङ्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक; √लङ्घ् + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/नीयतुल्य); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रकृतिः’ इति विशेषण

• प्रकृतिः: nature, disposition
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• वासनामयी: made of impressions, impression-filled
• वासनामयी: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासना (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ—‘वासनामयी’ = ‘वासनाभिः मयी/पूर्णा’ (consisting of impressions)

Speaker

Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative figure reflects on his own former cruelty; behind him, faint shadow-forms symbolize past-life impressions tugging at the mind, while a calm Śiva emblem suggests the path of purification.

Characters & Entities

• vāsanā
• prakṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Past-life tendencies shape behavior; spiritual practice is needed to transcend ingrained impulses, which can challenge even the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on inner dharma and the psychology of vāsanā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; it is a doctrinal reflection on karma and habit.