Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मनुष्यत्वे ब्राह्मणत्वं मुनित्वं तत्र दुर्लभम् । तत्रापि च तपःसिद्धिः प्राप्यैतत्पंचकं परम्

Transliteration

manuṣyatve brāhmaṇatvaṃ munitvaṃ tatra durlabham | tatrāpi ca tapaḥsiddhiḥ prāpyaitatpaṃcakaṃ param

Translation

മനുഷ്യരിൽ മനുഷ്യജന്മം, അതിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണത്വം; അതിലും മുനിത്വം ദുർലഭം. അതിലും ദുർലഭം തപസ്സിന്റെ സിദ്ധി. ഈ പരമ പഞ്ചവിധ സൗഭാഗ്യം ലഭിച്ചിട്ട്…

Word by Word

• मनुष्यत्वे: in (the state of) being human
• मनुष्यत्वे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्यत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (-त्व)

• ब्राह्मणत्वम्: Brahminhood
• ब्राह्मणत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (-त्व)

• मुनित्वम्: sagehood
• मुनित्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनित्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (-त्व)

• तत्र: therein/among those
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• दुर्लभम्: rare/difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• तत्र: therein
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तपःसिद्धिः: attainment through austerity
• तपःसिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः सिद्धिः)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having obtained’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पंचकम्: set of five
• पंचकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समूहवाचक

• परम्: supreme/highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Bhṛgu (continuing the address begun in shloka 36)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative ascetic scene: a muni reflecting on the rarity of human birth and spiritual qualifications, with symbolic motifs of a ladder of attainments (human → brāhmaṇa → muni → tapas-siddhi) leading toward a Śiva-liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇatva
• munitva
• tapaḥsiddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual qualifications and accomplishments are rare; one should honor and properly use such attainments for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse is a general mahātmya of spiritual opportunity within Bhārata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; it points to tapas (austerity) as a central discipline.