Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

गुणैर्भूतानि सृज्यंते भ्राम्यंते निजकर्मभिः । कालेनाथ विकृष्यंते वासनायां च शेरते

Transliteration

guṇairbhūtāni sṛjyaṃte bhrāmyaṃte nijakarmabhiḥ | kālenātha vikṛṣyaṃte vāsanāyāṃ ca śerate

Translation

குணங்களால் உயிர்கள் உருவாகின்றன; தம் கர்மங்களால் அலைகின்றன; பின்னர் காலம் இழுத்துச் செல்கிறது; வாசனைகளில் கட்டுண்டு கிடக்கின்றன.

Word by Word

• guṇaiḥ: by the qualities (guṇas)
• guṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• bhūtāni: beings/elements
• bhūtāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• sṛjyante: are created
• sṛjyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive/middle sense): ‘are created’

• bhrāmyante: wander/are deluded
• bhrāmyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhram (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural

• nija-karmabhiḥ: by their own actions
• nija-karmabhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘nija’ = own)

• kālena: by time
• kālena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• atha: then/and
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle/conjunction (अनन्तरार्थक/अथ)

• vikṛṣyante: are pulled away
• vikṛṣyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural; passive/middle sense: ‘are drawn away’

• vāsanāyām: in latent impressions
• vāsanāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चयार्थक)

• śerate: lie/rest
• śerate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śī (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural

Speaker

Ṛṣabha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic wheel of samsara: three colored strands (white sattva, red rajas, black tamas) weave bodies; a figure is pulled by a Time-deity (Kāla) while vāsanā-seeds lie like knots binding the mind.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣabha
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṃsāra is driven by guṇas, karma, and vāsanās under the force of Time; liberation requires transcending these.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is doctrinal teaching on karma and bondage.