Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

अनुपार्जितपुण्यायां जन्मांतरशतेष्वपि । पापायां मंदभाग्यायां दयां कुरुत भो जनाः

Transliteration

anupārjitapuṇyāyāṃ janmāṃtaraśateṣvapi | pāpāyāṃ maṃdabhāgyāyāṃ dayāṃ kuruta bho janāḥ

Translation

Even across hundreds of lifetimes I have not gathered merit; sinful and of poor fortune as I am—O people, show compassion to me.

Word by Word

• अनु: after, along; (as intensifier with verb)
• अनु: Upasarga (Preverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (prefix-like, here as preverb in compound)

• पार्जित: earned, acquired
• पार्जित: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (compound-member)

• पुण्यायाम्: in (me) with no merit accumulated
• पुण्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अनु/परि-अर्जित + पुण्य = 'not-acquired merit'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Sambandha (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (compound-member)

• अन्तर: other, between
• अन्तर: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (compound-member)

• शतेषु: in hundreds of other births
• शतेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जन्म + अन्तर + शत); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (even/also)

• पापायाम्: in (me) sinful
• पापायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• मन्द: poor, weak
• मन्द: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पूर्वपद (compound-member)

• भाग्यायाम्: in (me) of poor fortune
• भाग्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (मन्दं भाग्यं यस्याः सा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन

• दयाम्: compassion
• दयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• कुरुत: show
• कुरुत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन

Speaker

Caṇḍālī (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humbled supplicant confesses misfortune and lack of merit, hands folded; compassionate listeners soften, one steps forward to give, symbolizing puṇya being generated in the present.

Characters & Entities

• Puṇya
• Pāpa
• Janmāntara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion is offered not only to the ‘deserving’—mercy itself becomes the purifier that transforms karma’s harsh outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The appeal occurs within the Gokarṇa-kṣetra narrative frame, reinforcing the dharma practiced around a Śiva tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; the implied practice is dāna (especially food/aid) motivated by dayā (compassion).