Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तमहं विस्मयाविष्टः पुनरेवेदमब्रुवम् । दुर्लभं भारते जन्म तत्रापि च मनुष्यता

Transliteration

tamahaṃ vismayāviṣṭaḥ punarevedamabruvam | durlabhaṃ bhārate janma tatrāpi ca manuṣyatā

Translation

ഞാൻ വിസ്മയാവിഷ്ടനായി വീണ്ടും പറഞ്ഞു—‘ഭാരതത്തിൽ ജനനം ദുർലഭം; അതിലും സത്യമായ മനുഷ്യത്ത്വം അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം.’

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विस्मयाविष्टः: overcome with astonishment
• विस्मयाविष्टः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त; √विश्)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: विस्मयेन आविष्टः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘अहम्’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Repetition/पुनरुक्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘this (speech/statement)’

• अब्रुवम्: I said
• अब्रुवम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्लभम्: rare
• दुर्लभम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् ‘जन्म’

• भारते: in Bhārata (India)
• भारते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (देशवाचक), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तत्र: there, in that (case)
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

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

• मनुष्यता: human-ness, being human
• मनुष्यता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्यतā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhṛgu (addressed by name in prior verse; deduced as the questioner here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhārata-varṣa (as karma-bhūmi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unnamed muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhṛgu, still astonished, speaks with uplifted gaze as if contemplating the vast fortune of human birth in Bhārata; the grieving sage listens, slightly steadied by the reminder of dharma’s opportunity.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth—especially in Bhārata—is precious and should be used for dharma and liberation-oriented living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse glorifies Bhārata as a sacred realm in general, not a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied prescription is to utilize human life for dharmic practice.