Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

भगवन्मानुषाः सर्वे दुःखशोकनिपीडिताः । भ्रमंति सकलं जन्म रसायनविमोहिताः

Transliteration

bhagavanmānuṣāḥ sarve duḥkhaśokanipīḍitāḥ | bhramaṃti sakalaṃ janma rasāyanavimohitāḥ

Translation

Ô Seigneur, tous les humains sont accablés par la souffrance et le chagrin ; abusés par la quête des « rasāyana », ils errent durant toute leur vie.

Word by Word

• भगवत्-मानुषाः: holy/divine humans
• भगवत्-मानुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (bhagavantaḥ mānuṣāḥ = ‘divine/holy humans’)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• दुःख-शोक-निपीडिताः: afflicted by sorrow and pain
• दुःख-शोक-निपीडिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + नि-पीड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दुःखशोकैः निपीडिताः)

• भ्रमन्ति: wander
• भ्रमन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जन्म: life; birth
• जन्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रसायन-विमोहिताः: deluded by elixirs/rasāyana
• रसायन-विमोहिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रसायन (प्रातिपदिक) + वि-मुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुष-समासः (रसायनेन विमोहिताः)

Speaker

Devī (continuation of the request)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa (implied as the remedy under discussion)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhagavān (teacher)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of humans wanders in a circular path symbolizing saṃsāra; some carry jars labeled ‘rasāyana’; their faces show fatigue; in the distance, the serene Brahmakuṇḍa/Prabhāsa shines as a still point of refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavan
• Mānuṣa
• Duḥkha
• Śoka
• Rasāyana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly fixes can become distractions; Purāṇic teaching redirects the seeker toward higher, lasting well-being rooted in dharma and sacred grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Brahmakuṇḍa context at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, setting up why its true ‘rasāyana’ should be explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it diagnoses the problem motivating the request for instruction.