Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अस्य बालस्य चिह्नानि यानि काये द्विजोत्तम । अजरश्चामरश्चैव तैर्भवेत्पुरुषः किल

Transliteration

asya bālasya cihnāni yāni kāye dvijottama | ajaraścāmaraścaiva tairbhavetpuruṣaḥ kila

Translation

Ó melhor entre os brāhmanes, os sinais no corpo deste menino são tais que, por eles, de fato se esperaria que um homem estivesse livre do envelhecimento e da morte.

Word by Word

• अस्य: of this (boy)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• बालस्य: of the boy
• बालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• चिह्नानि: marks, signs
• चिह्नानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन (Plural)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-विशेषण (relative pronoun agreeing with चिह्नानि)

• काये: in the body
• काये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् उत्तम)

• अजरः: ageless
• अजरः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपपद-निषेध (not aging)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अमरः: immortal
• अमरः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (not dying, immortal)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• तैः: by those (marks)
• तैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• भवेत्: would be, should become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• पुरुषः: a man/person
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/it is said)

Speaker

Dvijottama (learned brāhmaṇa skilled in signs)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (sectional) / Prabhāsa (frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa declares that the boy bears marks indicating freedom from aging and death; the moment glows with prophetic wonder, contrasting the child’s innocence with cosmic destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama
• The child

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer signs may suggest great fortune, yet Purāṇic dharma reminds that destiny can still hinge on subtler karmic law.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on the interpretive science of marks within the hermitage narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.