Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

पूर्वजन्मोद्भवः कायस्यस्या यत्रापतत्तथा । गमनाय तमुद्देशं विज्ञप्तौ पितरौ तया

Transliteration

pūrvajanmodbhavaḥ kāyasyasyā yatrāpatattathā | gamanāya tamuddeśaṃ vijñaptau pitarau tayā

Translation

പൂർവ്വജന്മത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന തന്റെ ദേഹം എവിടെയാണു വീണതെന്ന് അവൾ മാതാപിതാക്കൾക്ക് അറിയിച്ചു; ആ ദേശത്തേക്ക് പോകാൻ അപേക്ഷിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• pūrva-janma-udbhavaḥ: arising from a former birth
• pūrva-janma-udbhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (पूर्व) + janman (जन्मन्) + udbhava (उद्भव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• kāyasya: of the body
• kāyasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāya (काय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (यत्र अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• apatat: fell
• apatat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (पत् धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (तथा अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/in that manner’)

• gamanāya: for going
• gamanāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gamana (गमन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Dative, Singular; purpose)

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• uddeśam: place/direction
• uddeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddeśa (उद्देश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• vijñaptau: informed/announced
• vijñaptau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-jñap (विज्ञप् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person dual)

• pitarau: the two parents
• pitarau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Dual)

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden points out a direction on a map-like cloth or gestures toward the horizon, explaining to her parents the exact region tied to her former birth; parents listen with astonishment.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is tied to karma; one may be drawn to specific places connected with prior-life events for closure and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The destination is indicated but not named in this verse; subsequent verses identify it as the land–ocean confluence and related tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage (gamanam) is implied; no detailed rite is specified here.