Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा जराभिभवनमसह्यं रोगपीडितम् । देहत्यागं पुनर्गर्भं गर्भक्लेशं च दारुणम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā jarābhibhavanamasahyaṃ rogapīḍitam | dehatyāgaṃ punargarbhaṃ garbhakleśaṃ ca dāruṇam

Translation

Seeing the overpowering of old age, unbearable and tormented by disease; seeing death, rebirth into the womb again, and the dreadful suffering within the womb—

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — having seen

• जरा: old age
• जरा: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) — Feminine stem used in compound

• अभिभवनम्: overpowering (subjugation)
• अभिभवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि-भवन (प्रातिपदिक; √भू/भव् "to be, become" + अभि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter Accusative Singular

• असह्यम्: unbearable
• असह्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असह्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + सह्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण — Neuter Accusative Singular

• रोगपीडितम्: afflicted by disease
• रोगपीडितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोग-पीडित (कृदन्त; √पीड् "to afflict"; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण — Neuter Accusative Singular; 'afflicted by disease'

• देहत्यागम्: giving up the body (death)
• देहत्यागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह-त्याग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular; 'abandoning the body'

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गर्भम्: womb (rebirth)
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular

• गर्भक्लेशम्: womb-suffering
• गर्भक्लेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ-क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular; 'suffering in the womb'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• दारुणम्: terrible
• दारुणम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण — Neuter Accusative Singular

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative sequence: an aged figure bent by time, a sickbed scene, a funeral procession by the Gaṅgā, and a symbolic womb motif—each prompting a seeker’s inward turning toward liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra (cycle of birth and death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplation of suffering (old age, disease, death, rebirth) is used to awaken dispassion and the urge for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī setting frames the teaching, even when the verse itself focuses on saṃsāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it emphasizes reflective insight leading to renunciation and liberation-seeking.