Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47
Devanagari script
ऋषभ उवाच । अकस्मात्किमहो वत्से रोरवीषि विमूढधीः । को जातः कतमो लोके को मृतो वद सांप्रतम्
Transliteration
ṛṣabha uvāca | akasmātkimaho vatse roravīṣi vimūḍhadhīḥ | ko jātaḥ katamo loke ko mṛto vada sāṃpratam
Translation
Ṛṣabha said: “Why, child, do you suddenly cry out so, your understanding bewildered? Who was born, who in this world—who has died? Tell me now.”
Word by Word
ṛṣabhaḥṚṣabha
ṛṣabhaḥ:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
akasmātsuddenly
akasmāt:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootakasmāt (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb) ‘suddenly/without cause’
kimwhat
kim:
Karma (Object of implied ‘is’/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम (here exclamatory ‘what!’)
ahoalas! / oh!
aho:
Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootaho (अव्यय)
Formविस्मय/खेद-निपात (exclamatory particle)
vatseO dear one
vatse:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootvatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (voc. sg.); स्नेहसम्बोधन
roravīṣiyou wail/cry loudly
roravīṣi:
Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootru (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातोः ‘रोरवीति’ इत्यादि देशीय/वेदिक-प्रयोगः (to wail/cry)
vimūḍha-dhīḥ(you) of bewildered mind
vimūḍha-dhīḥ:
Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi-mūḍha (कृदन्त; मुह्-धातु) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय: विमूढा धीः यस्याः सा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom. sg.)
kaḥwho
kaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम (nom. sg.)
jātaḥborn
jātaḥ:
Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootjan (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘born’
katamaḥwhich one (of many)
katamaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkatama (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्न-विशेष (which one among many)
lokein the world
loke:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootloka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (loc. sg.)
kaḥwho
kaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम (nom. sg.)
mṛtaḥdead
mṛtaḥ:
Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmṛ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘dead’
vadatell
vada:
Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvad (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative)
sāṃpratamnow, at present
sāṃpratam:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)
Speaker
Ṛṣabha
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Ṛṣabha stands or sits near the grieving woman, his hand raised in gentle instruction; his face is calm, hers tearful; the moment captures the turning of grief into inquiry.
Characters & Entities
Ṛ
ṚṣabhaFAQs
It challenges identification with the body and invites inquiry into the self beyond birth and death.
None; the verse is philosophical instruction within the narrative.
None; it is an exhortation toward discernment (viveka).