Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

पूर्वजन्मोद्भवः कायस्यस्या यत्रापतत्तथा । गमनाय तमुद्देशं विज्ञप्तौ पितरौ तया

Transliteration

pūrvajanmodbhavaḥ kāyasyasyā yatrāpatattathā | gamanāya tamuddeśaṃ vijñaptau pitarau tayā

Translation

Sie teilte ihren Eltern den genauen Ort mit, wo ihr Leib, aus der früheren Geburt hervorgegangen, niedergefallen war, und bat darum, in jene Gegend gehen zu dürfen.

Word by Word

• pūrva-janma-udbhavaḥ: arising from a former birth
• pūrva-janma-udbhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (पूर्व) + janman (जन्मन्) + udbhava (उद्भव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• kāyasya: of the body
• kāyasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāya (काय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (यत्र अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• apatat: fell
• apatat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (पत् धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (तथा अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/in that manner’)

• gamanāya: for going
• gamanāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gamana (गमन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Dative, Singular; purpose)

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• uddeśam: place/direction
• uddeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddeśa (उद्देश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• vijñaptau: informed/announced
• vijñaptau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-jñap (विज्ञप् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person dual)

• pitarau: the two parents
• pitarau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden points out a direction on a map-like cloth or gestures toward the horizon, explaining to her parents the exact region tied to her former birth; parents listen with astonishment.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is tied to karma; one may be drawn to specific places connected with prior-life events for closure and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The destination is indicated but not named in this verse; subsequent verses identify it as the land–ocean confluence and related tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage (gamanam) is implied; no detailed rite is specified here.