Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

पुरा जन्मन्यहं बालो ब्राह्मणस्याभवं भुवि । पाराशर्यसगोत्रस्य विश्वरूपस्य सन्मुनेः

Transliteration

purā janmanyahaṃ bālo brāhmaṇasyābhavaṃ bhuvi | pārāśaryasagotrasya viśvarūpasya sanmuneḥ

Translation

In einer früheren Geburt auf Erden war ich ein Knabe im Hause eines Brāhmaṇa—aus der Linie des Parāśarya—des edlen Weisen namens Viśvarūpa.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Sambandha (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• जन्मनि: in (a) birth, in a previous life
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बालः: a boy
• बालः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अभवम्: I was, I became
• अभवम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: ‘earth’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पाराशर्यसगोत्रस्य: of the same lineage as Pārāśarya
• पाराशर्यसगोत्रस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाराशर्य + सगोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—पाराशर्यस्य सगोत्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• विश्वरूपस्य: of Viśvarūpa
• विश्वरूपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—विश्वं रूपं यस्य / विश्व-रूप (descriptive epithet)

• सन्मुनेः: of the noble sage
• सन्मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—सन् मुनिः (good/sage)

Speaker

Nāḍījaṃgha (continuing autobiographical account by context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghṛtakaṃbala (contextual backdrop)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vipra/king in the present scene

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nāḍījaṃgha begins his past-life account: once he was a young boy on earth in the household/lineage of a brāhmaṇa of Parāśarya gotra, the noble sage Viśvarūpa.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśarya
• Viśvarūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives link present conditions to prior births, emphasizing continuity of karma and the formative power of dharmic households.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.