Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23
Devanagari script
एवमायुर्यदि तव कथं प्राप्तं ब्रवीहि तत् । उलूकत्वं कथमिदं जुगुप्सितमतीव च
Transliteration
evamāyuryadi tava kathaṃ prāptaṃ bravīhi tat | ulūkatvaṃ kathamidaṃ jugupsitamatīva ca
Translation
If such is your lifespan, tell me how you obtained it. And how did you come to be an owl—so repulsive indeed?
Word by Word
evamthus / in this way
evam:
Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootevam (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)
āyuḥlifespan
āyuḥ:
Karta (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootāyus (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
yadiif
yadi:
Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyadi (अव्यय)
Formशर्तवाचक-अव्यय (conditional particle)
tavayour
tava:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
kathamhow
katham:
Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
prāptamobtained / attained
prāptam:
Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootāp (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; (आयुः इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्)
bravīhitell
bravīhi:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbrū (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
tatthat
tat:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
ulūkatvamowl-hood / being an owl
ulūkatvam:
Karma/Viṣaya (Topic/Object/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootulūka (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (state of being an owl)
kathamhow
katham:
Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय
idamthis
idam:
Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
jugupsitamdespised / loathsome
jugupsitam:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootgup (धातु) → jugupsita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (despised)
atīvavery / exceedingly
atīva:
Viśeṣaṇa (Intensifier/विशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatīva (अव्यय)
Formतीव्रतावाचक-अव्यय (intensifier adverb)
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
Speaker
Unspecified (the king questioning the owl/Kauśika)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The king asks bluntly about the cause of owlhood—an unsettling contrast between long life and repulsive form.
FAQs
Extraordinary fortune and painful embodiment both have causes—often rooted in devotion, karma, or a sage’s curse.
No specific site is named in this verse.
None; it is a request for the backstory of merit and curse.