Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

संसाराख्यमतोऽनये ये ग्राहग्रस्ता न संशयः । अथ ब्राह्मणभेदांस्त्वमष्टो विप्रावधारय

Transliteration

saṃsārākhyamato'naye ye grāhagrastā na saṃśayaḥ | atha brāhmaṇabhedāṃstvamaṣṭo viprāvadhāraya

Translation

Ainsi, ceux que saisit ce qu’on nomme « saṃsāra » sont, sans doute, comme des victimes happées par un crocodile. Maintenant, ô brāhmaṇa, comprends de ma bouche les huit classifications des brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• saṃsārākhyam: called ‘saṃsāra’
• saṃsārākhyam: Karma (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (संसार-आख्यम् = ‘संसार-नामकं’)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-निपात (therefore)

• anaye: by this (method/teaching)
• anaye: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः

• grāhagrastāḥ: seized by a crocodile
• grāhagrastāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grāha (प्रातिपदिक) + grasta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (ग्राहेण ग्रस्ताः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• atha: now/then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक-निपात (now/then)

• brāhmaṇabhedān: the divisions of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇabhedān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्राह्मणानां भेदाः)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• vipra: O Brahmin
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• avadhāraya: understand/ascertain
• avadhāraya: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to the sages

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa addressed as 'tvam… vipra'

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human figure caught in a crocodile’s jaws in a swirling river labeled 'saṃsāra'; a teacher-sage on the bank raises a hand in instruction, pointing to a palm-leaf manuscript titled 'aṣṭa brāhmaṇa-bhedāḥ'.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly bondage is depicted as a near-inescapable grasp, and the text turns to dharma-clarification through defining brāhmaṇa categories.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the passage is doctrinal/ethical instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a dharma taxonomy (brāhmaṇa-bheda) rather than a specific rite.