Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

एवमायुर्यदि तव कथं प्राप्तं ब्रवीहि तत् । उलूकत्वं कथमिदं जुगुप्सितमतीव च

Transliteration

evamāyuryadi tava kathaṃ prāptaṃ bravīhi tat | ulūkatvaṃ kathamidaṃ jugupsitamatīva ca

Translation

Jika demikian panjang usiamu, katakanlah bagaimana engkau memperolehnya. Dan bagaimana pula engkau menjadi burung hantu—keadaan yang sungguh menjijikkan itu?

Word by Word

• evam: thus / in this way
• evam: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• āyuḥ: lifespan
• āyuḥ: Karta (Subject/topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

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

• katham: how
• katham: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• prāptam: obtained / attained
• prāptam: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āp (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; (आयुः इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्)

• bravīhi: tell
• bravīhi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ulūkatvam: owl-hood / being an owl
• ulūkatvam: Karma/Viṣaya (Topic/Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ulūka (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (state of being an owl)

• katham: how
• katham: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय

• idam: this
• idam: Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• jugupsitam: despised / loathsome
• jugupsitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gup (धातु) → jugupsita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (despised)

• atīva: very / exceedingly
• atīva: Viśeṣaṇa (Intensifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: तीव्रतावाचक-अव्यय (intensifier adverb)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified (the king questioning the owl/Kauśika)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king asks bluntly about the cause of owlhood—an unsettling contrast between long life and repulsive form.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary fortune and painful embodiment both have causes—often rooted in devotion, karma, or a sage’s curse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for the backstory of merit and curse.