Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

भोगार्थमिष्यते कायं यतो मर्त्यं सुरासुरैः । समवाप्स्यसि तान्सर्वांस्तस्मात्तव कलेवरम्

Transliteration

bhogārthamiṣyate kāyaṃ yato martyaṃ surāsuraiḥ | samavāpsyasi tānsarvāṃstasmāttava kalevaram

Translation

«Car même les dieux et les asura désirent un corps mortel pour goûter aux jouissances ; toi aussi, tu obtiendras toutes ces (jouissances). C’est pourquoi, quant à ton corps—»

Word by Word

• bhoga-artham: for enjoyment
• bhoga-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhoga (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (भोगस्य अर्थः); पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• iṣyate: is desired
• iṣyate: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (passive sense: 'is desired/approved')

• kāyam: body
• kāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (causal indeclinable: 'because/for')

• martyam: a mortal (human)
• martyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• surāsuraiḥ: by gods and demons
• surāsuraiḥ: Karaṇa/Agent (By gods and demons/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः; पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• samavāpsyasi: you will obtain
• samavāpsyasi: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ava-āp (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with tān)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Conclusion marker (Inference/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मादिति (therefore; ablatival adverb)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• kalevaram: body
• kalevaram: Karma/Topic (Contextual object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalevara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; वाक्ये अव्यक्त-सम्बन्ध (contextually 'your body')

Speaker

Śiva (continuing instruction/boon discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-deity addresses a devotee, gesturing toward a human figure while celestial beings (devas and asuras) look on, indicating their desire for human embodiment.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Sura
• Asura
• Mahiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Enjoyment tied to embodiment is alluring even to the powerful, yet it binds one to mortal conditions and their consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site-name appears in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s narrative surrounding tīrtha-glory and boons.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.