Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14
Devanagari script
गर्भ उवाच । तात जानाम्यहं सर्वमेतत्परम दुर्लभम् । किं तु बिभेमि चातिमात्रं कालमार्गस्य नित्यशः
Transliteration
garbha uvāca | tāta jānāmyahaṃ sarvametatparama durlabham | kiṃ tu bibhemi cātimātraṃ kālamārgasya nityaśaḥ
Translation
Der Embryo sprach: „Vater, ich weiß dies alles; es ist überaus selten. Doch fürchte ich unablässig, in höchstem Maße, den Pfad des Kāla, der Zeit.“
Word by Word
garbhaḥGarbha (the embryo)
garbhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootgarbha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
tātadear father
tāta:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
TypeNoun
Roottāta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
jānāmiI know
jānāmi:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootjñā (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
ahamI
aham:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootaham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
sarvameverything
sarvam:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
etatthis
etat:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootetat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
paramamsupremely
paramam:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootparama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (etat)
durlabhamhard to obtain
durlabham:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootdurlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (etat)
kimbut
kim:
Nipata (निपात/discourse)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkim (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
Formअव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-निपात: 'but/what then?')
tuhowever
tu:
Nipata (निपात/contrast)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (विरोध/contrast particle)
bibhemiI fear
bibhemi:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootbhī (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय/coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (समुच्चय/coord. conjunction)
atimātramexcessively, too much
atimātram:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootati + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (bibhemi)
kālamārgasyaof the path of Time
kālamārgasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessive)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
nityaśaḥconstantly
nityaśaḥ:
Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnityaśas (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (रीत्यर्थक/adverb: 'always/constantly')
Speaker
Garbha (the unborn child/embryo)
Characters & Entities
K
Kāla (Time)FAQs
Even with knowledge of life’s rarity, beings fear the overpowering force of Time that drives saṃsāra.
None; this is a philosophical passage within a dialogue.
No ritual is specified; the verse introduces the theme of escaping the bondage of Kāla.