Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

उलूक उवाच । इतिदमुक्तमखिलं पूर्वजन्मसमुद्भवम् । स्वरूपमायुषो हेतुः कौशिकत्वस्य चेति मे

Transliteration

ulūka uvāca | itidamuktamakhilaṃ pūrvajanmasamudbhavam | svarūpamāyuṣo hetuḥ kauśikatvasya ceti me

Translation

ഉലൂകൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇങ്ങനെ ഞാൻ മുൻജന്മത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന എല്ലാം പൂർണ്ണമായി പറഞ്ഞു: എന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ സ്വരൂപം, എന്റെ ആയുസ്സിന്റെ കാരണം, കൂടാതെ ഞാൻ കൗശികനായതിന്റെ കാരണവും.

Word by Word

• उलूकः: Ulūka
• उलूकः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उक्तम्: said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate to इदम्/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (said/spoken)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पूर्व-जन्म-समुद्भवम्: arising from a previous birth
• पूर्व-जन्म-समुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पूर्वजन्मनः समुद्भवम् = arising from a former birth)

• स्वरूपम्: true nature/form
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आयुषः: of life-span
• आयुषः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• हेतुः: cause
• हेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कौशिकत्वस्य: of being Kauśika
• कौशिकत्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिकत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कौशिक + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (closing particle)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (to me/of me; here: ‘for me’/‘to me’)

Speaker

Ulūka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaking owl-sage figure (Ulūka/Purūhūta) concludes his confession before companions, seated in a forested or mountain-edge setting; the mood is calm, explanatory, and final.

Characters & Entities

• Ulūka
• Kauśika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Present conditions are often rooted in past karma; understanding one’s story is presented as a step toward dharmic resolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it marks a transition in the dialogue after the backstory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a narrative conclusion to Ulūka’s account.