Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

शरीरांतरमप्येतन्निजदेहोद्भवं मलम् । मत्त्वा स्वतनयं मूढे मा शोकं कर्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

śarīrāṃtaramapyetannijadehodbhavaṃ malam | mattvā svatanayaṃ mūḍhe mā śokaṃ kartumarhasi

Translation

ഈ ‘മറ്റൊരു ശരീര’വും സ്വന്തം ദേഹത്തിൽ നിന്നുത്ഭവിച്ച മലമാത്രം. അതിനെ സ്വന്തം പുത്രനെന്നു കരുതി, ഹേ മോഹിതനേ, നീ ശോകിക്കേണ്ടതില്ല.

Word by Word

• शरीर-अन्तरम्: another body
• शरीर-अन्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) — ‘शरीरस्य अन्तरम्’

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — ‘also/even’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निज-देह-उद्भवम्: arisen from one’s own body
• निज-देह-उद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी/उपपद-भावः) — ‘निजदेहात् उद्भवम्’

• मलम्: impurity, filth
• मलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• मत्त्वा: having considered
• मत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातुः मन् (मन्यते) — ‘having thought/considered’

• स्व-तनयम्: one’s own son
• स्व-तनयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) — ‘स्वस्य तनयम्’

• मूढे: O deluded one
• मूढे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सम्बोधन), सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (prohibitive particle) — ‘do not’

• शोकम्: grief
• शोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्यय; धातुः कृ — ‘to do/make’

• अर्हसि: you ought (to), you should
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

A Purāṇic teacher (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like figure admonishes a grieving parent; the imagery contrasts a fragile human body with the idea of ‘filth-born’ materiality, urging detachment and calm.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Excessive attachment to family identities causes grief; seeing their bodily, impermanent nature helps cultivate equanimity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is ethical-spiritual counsel aimed at reducing moha (delusion) and śoka (grief).