Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

आहो मानुष्यकं जन्म सर्वजन्मसु दुर्लभम् । तृणवत्क्रियते कैश्चिद्योषिन्मूढैर्दुराधरैः

Transliteration

āho mānuṣyakaṃ janma sarvajanmasu durlabham | tṛṇavatkriyate kaiścidyoṣinmūḍhairdurādharaiḥ

Translation

Ach, die menschliche Geburt ist unter allen Geburten äußerst selten; und doch behandeln manche—törichte, schwer zu zügelnde Frauen—sie wie einen Halm Gras.

Word by Word

• आहो: alas!/oh!
• आहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार (exclamation particle)

• मानुष्यकम्: human
• मानुष्यकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वजन्मसु: in all births
• सर्वजन्मसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषु जन्मसु)

• दुर्लभम्: rare/hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• तृणवत्: like grass
• तृणवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तृणवत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (adverbial: like grass)

• क्रियते: is treated/done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• कैश्चित्: by some
• कैश्चित्: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite: by some)

• योषित्: by women
• योषित्: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मूढैः: deluded
• मूढैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (योषिताम्)

• दुराधरैः: hard to restrain/ungovernable
• दुराधरैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुराधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (योषिताम्)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed group

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a brāhmaṇa points to a small blade of grass while speaking of the pricelessness of human birth; listeners appear heedless or ashamed, contrasted with the humble grass symbol.

Characters & Entities

• mānuṣya-janma (human birth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is precious and rare; treating it lightly through uncontrolled impulses is condemned as a loss of dharma and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is an ethical exhortation to value human birth and practice self-restraint.