Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

जात्यंतरसहस्रेषु भ्राम्यंते ये स्वकर्मभिः । ये तु पक्षिमृगादीनां कीटवृक्षादि वीरुधाम्

Transliteration

jātyaṃtarasahasreṣu bhrāmyaṃte ye svakarmabhiḥ | ye tu pakṣimṛgādīnāṃ kīṭavṛkṣādi vīrudhām

Translation

Jene, die durch ihr eigenes Karma getrieben durch Tausende anderer Geburten umherirren; die in die Leiber von Vögeln und Tieren eingingen und zu Insekten, Bäumen und kriechenden Pflanzen wurden — sie alle sind eingeschlossen.

Word by Word

• जात्यन्तरसहस्रेषु: among thousands of other births/species
• जात्यन्तरसहस्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति-अन्तर-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; जाति + अन्तर + सहस्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; ‘सहस्र’ = thousand; ‘जात्यन्तर’ = other species/kinds

• भ्राम्यन्ते: they wander
• भ्राम्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्वकर्मभिः: by their own actions
• स्वकर्मभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• पक्षिमृगादीनाम्: of birds, animals, etc.
• पक्षिमृगादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि-मृग-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; पक्षि + मृग + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ = etc.

• कीटवृक्षादि: insects, trees, etc. (collectively)
• कीटवृक्षादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीट-वृक्ष-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; कीट + वृक्ष + आदि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); ‘आदि’ = etc.

• वीरुधाम्: of creepers/plants
• वीरुधाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience of ṛṣis / pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic cycle-of-births depiction: jīvas moving through birds, beasts, insects, trees, and creepers, with Kāśī’s luminous skyline as the axis of liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra (conceptual)
• Yoni
• Pitṛs (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic dharma vision is universal: ritual compassion extends to souls caught in saṃsāra across many species.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī–Gaṅgā context suggests that offerings there are efficacious for beings across rebirth states.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

While performing pitṛkarman/tarpaṇa, one may intend the benefit also for those reborn as animals, insects, trees, and plants.