Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अहमस्यान्यदेहत्वे पुत्र आसं सुसंमतः । पशुपालनकर्मज्ञः प्राणेभ्यो वल्लभः सदा

Transliteration

ahamasyānyadehatve putra āsaṃ susaṃmataḥ | paśupālanakarmajñaḥ prāṇebhyo vallabhaḥ sadā

Translation

“Dalam penjelmaan beliau yang lain, aku pernah menjadi anaknya—dikasihi dan sangat dihormati—mahir dalam pekerjaan menggembala lembu, dan sentiasa disayangi olehnya bagaikan nyawanya sendiri.”

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, singular)

• अस्य: of this (person)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, singular)

• अन्य-देहत्वे: in (the state of) another body; in another embodiment
• अन्य-देहत्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + देहत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; सप्तमी (Locative, singular); ‘देहत्वे’ = देहत्व-शब्दस्य सप्तमी

• पुत्रः: a son
• पुत्रः: Pratipādya/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, singular)

• आसम्: I was
• आसम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past); उत्तमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सुसंमतः: well-approved; highly esteemed
• सुसंमतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + संमत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मन्/मन्? ‘सम्मत’ = accepted/approved)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा; भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle sense)

• पशुपालनकर्मज्ञः: knowing the work of tending cattle
• पशुपालनकर्मज्ञः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + पालन (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा; समासः—‘पशुपालनस्य कर्म’ इति तत्पुरुषः, तस्य ‘ज्ञः’ (कर्मज्ञ)

• प्राणेभ्यः: than (one’s) lives; more than life
• प्राणेभ्यः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; पञ्चमी (Ablative, plural)

• वल्लभः: beloved; dear
• वल्लभः: Pratipādya/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

Speaker

The brāhmaṇa (jātismara) continuing his explanation

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator recalls a former life as a beloved son, depicted as a youthful cowherd caring for cattle, with a gentle domestic bond and a faint aura hinting at future sacred transformation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic relationships endure beyond one lifetime; remembering benefactors inspires gratitude expressed through service and rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the broader Māhātmya’s ethical teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not directly; it provides the reason behind performing pretakārya and honoring the departed.