Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । त्वं तु पूर्वभवे काचित्कपोती व्योमचारिणी । क्वापि लब्धवती किंचिन्मां सपिंडं यदृच्छया

Transliteration

rājovāca | tvaṃ tu pūrvabhave kācitkapotī vyomacāriṇī | kvāpi labdhavatī kiṃcinmāṃ sapiṃḍaṃ yadṛcchayā

Translation

The King said: “In a former birth you were a she-pigeon, moving through the sky. Somewhere, by chance, you obtained me—this lump of flesh.”

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• pūrvabhave: in a former existence
• pūrvabhave: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva + bhava (पूर्व + भव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• kācit: a certain
• kācit: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun used adjectivally); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kapotī: a female pigeon
• kapotī: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapotī (कपोती प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vyomacāriṇī: moving in the sky, flying
• vyomacāriṇī: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyoman + cārinī (व्योमन् + चारिणी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (व्योमनि चारिणी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kvāpi: somewhere
• kvāpi: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvāpi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• labdhavatī: obtained, found
• labdhavatī: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (past active participle, ‘having obtained’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kiṃcit: something
• kiṃcit: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kimcit (किञ्चित् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• sapiṇḍam: with a lump (of flesh)
• sapiṇḍam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + piṇḍa (स + पिण्ड प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सः पिण्डः यस्य/सपिण्डः ‘with a lump/ball of flesh’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण माम् प्रति

• yadṛcchayā: by chance, accidentally
• yadṛcchayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (यदृच्छा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial instrumental)

Speaker

Rājā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Queen

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king reveals the queen’s former birth as a she-pigeon flying in the sky, who by chance obtained a lump of flesh identified with the king’s body.

Characters & Entities

• kapotī (she-pigeon)
• māṃsa-piṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames present relationships through prior births, teaching continuity of karma and the unfolding of destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it begins a karmic backstory.