Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

कथं संजायते जंतुः कथं चापि प्रलीयते । भस्मतामथ संप्राप्य क्व चायं प्रति पद्यते

Transliteration

kathaṃ saṃjāyate jaṃtuḥ kathaṃ cāpi pralīyate | bhasmatāmatha saṃprāpya kva cāyaṃ prati padyate

Translation

“Bagaimana makhluk hidup lahir, dan bagaimana pula ia luluh lenyap? Dan setelah mencapai keadaan menjadi abu, ke manakah ia pergi—ke mana ia menempuh jalan berikutnya?”

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Avyaya (Question/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• संजायते: is born; arises
• संजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• जन्तुः: a creature; being
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Avyaya (Question/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• प्रलीयते: dissolves; perishes
• प्रलीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + लि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• भस्मताम्: to the state of ash
• भस्मताम्: Karma (Goal-state/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘-ताम्’ = state/condition

• अथ: then
• अथ: Avyaya (Discourse marker/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• संप्राप्य: having reached
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having attained’

• क्व: where
• क्व: Avyaya (Question/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अयम्: this (being)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Avyaya (Preverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb; direction ‘towards’)

• पद्यते: goes; attains
• पद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Atithi (unnamed guest, a vipra)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kamaṭha (as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker asks a stark metaphysical question: birth, dissolution, and the soul’s destination after the body becomes ashes—set in a quiet teaching assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Jaṃtu (living being)
• Bhasma (ashes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It urges inquiry into saṃsāra—birth, death, and the soul’s onward journey—so that life is directed toward liberation and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cremation is implied by ‘ashes,’ but no specific funeral rite is prescribed; the verse is a philosophical question.