Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

भगवन्निदमाश्चर्यं कथं जातं शरीरतः । वायसानां कुलं दृष्टं किमेतत्साधु भण्यताम्

Transliteration

bhagavannidamāścaryaṃ kathaṃ jātaṃ śarīrataḥ | vāyasānāṃ kulaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ kimetatsādhu bhaṇyatām

Translation

Ô Seigneur bienheureux, voilà une merveille : comment cela est-il né du corps ? On voit tout un vol de corbeaux ; qu’est-ce donc ? Daigne l’expliquer avec justesse.

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O venerable one (Lord)
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग (vocative address)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भाववाचक (wonder)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जातम्: arisen, happened
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘भूत’ अर्थे (having arisen)

• शरीरतः: from the body
• शरीरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययार्थ (ablative: from)

• वायसानाम्: of crows
• वायसानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• कुलम्: family, lineage
• कुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (seen)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• साधु: properly, well
• साधु: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (well/rightly)

• भण्यताम्: let it be told/said
• भण्यताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भण् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘कथ्यताम्’ इव—let it be said

Speaker

King (listener/questioner; addressed as rājan in the reply)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (or seeker) stands before a venerable guru, pointing in astonishment as a dark flock of crows suddenly appears, as if emerging from or clustering around the body—an omen-like, karmic manifestation; the guru remains calm, ready to explain.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should inquire into unusual experiences through the lens of karma and dharma, seeking a guru’s truthful explanation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on karmic causality within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets up the teaching that follows.