Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततः पापावशेषेण पिशाचो निर्जने वने । सहस्रशिश्नः संजातो नित्यं क्षुत्तृषयाकुलः

Transliteration

tataḥ pāpāvaśeṣeṇa piśāco nirjane vane | sahasraśiśnaḥ saṃjāto nityaṃ kṣuttṛṣayākulaḥ

Translation

त्यानंतर पापाच्या उरलेल्या प्रभावामुळे मी निर्जन वनात पिशाच झालो. ‘सहस्रशिश्न’ रूप धारण करून मी सदैव भूक व तहानेने व्याकुळ झालो.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter; then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्’ (thereafter/from that)

• पाप-अवशेषेण: by the remaining sin
• पाप-अवशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अवशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — पापावशेषेण (by/with the remainder of sin)

• पिशाचः: a piśāca (goblin)
• पिशाचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• निर्जने: in a lonely (place)
• निर्जने: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘वने’ इति विशेषणम्

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सहस्र-शिश्नः: one with a thousand phalluses
• सहस्र-शिश्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — बहुशिश्नत्वं सूचयति

• संजातः: was born; arose
• संजातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘संजातः’ = arisen/born

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• क्षुत्-तृषा-आकुलः: afflicted by hunger and thirst
• क्षुत्-तृषा-आकुलः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तृषा (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘पिशाचः’ इति विशेषणम्; क्षुत्तृषयाकुलः = hunger-and-thirst-afflicted

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (a repentant being narrating its former births within the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gaunt piśāca in a desolate forest, body marked by grotesque multiplicity (‘sahasra-śiśna’), crouched in perpetual hunger and thirst under a dim sky; twisted trees and barren ground emphasize karmic exile.

Characters & Entities

• piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even after a life ends, the residue of wrongdoing can mature into painful states of existence; purification and dharmic conduct are essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on karmic rebirth rather than a place-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated here; the verse is descriptive of karmic result.