Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

श्रीदेव्युवाच । एषा पूर्वभवे बाला द्राविडस्य द्विजन्मनः । आसीद्द्वितीया दयिता भामिनी नाम विश्रुता

Transliteration

śrīdevyuvāca | eṣā pūrvabhave bālā drāviḍasya dvijanmanaḥ | āsīddvitīyā dayitā bhāminī nāma viśrutā

Translation

श्रीदेवी बोलीं—पूर्वजन्म में यह बालिका द्राविड देश के एक ब्राह्मण की दूसरी प्रिया पत्नी थी, जो ‘भामिनी’ नाम से प्रसिद्ध थी।

Word by Word

• श्रीदेवी: Śrīdevī
• श्रीदेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीदेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (श्रीः एव देवी)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वभवे: in a previous birth
• पूर्वभवे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (in a former existence)

• बाला: a young girl
• बाला: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्राविडस्य: of the Drāviḍa (man)
• द्राविडस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्राविड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• द्विजन्मनः: of the twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विजन्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (of the twice-born)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्वितीया: second
• द्वितीया: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दयिता: beloved (wife)
• दयिता: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भामिनी: Bhāminī
• भामिनी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (by name)

• विश्रुता: renowned
• विश्रुता: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त (renowned)

Speaker

Śrī Devī (Bhavānī/Gaurī)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī speaks with calm authority, unveiling the maiden’s former birth: a renowned woman Bhāminī, second wife of a Drāviḍa brāhmaṇa; the scene feels like a curtain lifting on destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Bhāminī
• Drāviḍa dvijanman (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas explain present conditions through pūrva-bhava (past-life) causes, emphasizing karma and moral continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse shifts to karmic backstory rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative exposition by the Goddess.