Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अन्यदेहांतरे राजञ्छूद्रजातिसमुद्भवः । शूद्रजातिरियं साध्वी तव पत्नी ह्यभूत्पुरा

Transliteration

anyadehāṃtare rājañchūdrajātisamudbhavaḥ | śūdrajātiriyaṃ sādhvī tava patnī hyabhūtpurā

Translation

„In einem anderen Leib, o König, wurdest du in der Gemeinschaft der Śūdra geboren; und diese tugendhafte Frau—deine Gemahlin—war einst ebenfalls von Śūdra-Geburt.“

Word by Word

• अन्य-देह-अन्तरे: in another body (in another life)
• अन्य-देह-अन्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (in another body)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शूद्र-जाति-समुद्भवः: born of the Śūdra caste
• शूद्र-जाति-समुद्भवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (arisen from Śūdra caste)

• शूद्र-जातिः: Śūdra caste
• शूद्र-जातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• साध्वी: virtuous woman
• साध्वी: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयबोधक-अव्यय (indeed)

• अभूत्: was, became
• अभूत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (māhīpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage narrates a flashback: a humble couple in simple garments, dignified and virtuous, contrasted with the present royal setting—suggesting the wheel of births.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Rājan (King)
• Sādhvī (wife)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It emphasizes rebirth and the unfolding of karma over lifetimes, relativizing worldly status before dharma and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it is part of the karmic backstory within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative disclosure about prior birth.