Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 114

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य तस्य पुत्रो बभूव ह । विरूपस्यापि रूपाढ्यः पूर्वकर्मप्रभावतः

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya tasya putro babhūva ha | virūpasyāpi rūpāḍhyaḥ pūrvakarmaprabhāvataḥ

Translation

しばらくして彼に一人の子が生まれた。父は醜形であったが、子は端正で麗しかった――それは前世の業の力による。

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle: now/then)

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रः: a son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बभूव: came to be, was born
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed (narrative)
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक-अव्यय (narrative particle)

• विरूपस्य: of the ugly (one)
• विरूपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• रूप-आढ्यः: rich in beauty, handsome
• रूप-आढ्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘रूपेण आढ्यः’ = endowed with beauty

• पूर्व-कर्म-प्रभावतः: due to the effect of past karma
• पूर्व-कर्म-प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘पूर्वकर्मप्रभावतः’ = due to the influence of former deeds; (पूर्वकर्मप्रभाव-तस्)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A handsome son is born to the ill-formed Kumbhaka; the contrast is explicitly attributed to the power of prior deeds, signaling a destined shift in the story.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Kumbhaka
• Son of Kumbhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights karma doctrine: present qualities can arise from prior deeds, not merely from visible lineage or appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it continues the Vardhamāna-setting backstory within Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal-narrative statement about karma’s effects.