Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अहो ईश्वरचर्येयं दुर्विभाव्या शरीरिणाम् । पापात्मानोऽपि नीयंते कारुण्यात्परमं पदम्

Transliteration

aho īśvaracaryeyaṃ durvibhāvyā śarīriṇām | pāpātmāno'pi nīyaṃte kāruṇyātparamaṃ padam

Translation

அஹோ! ஈசுவரனின் இச்செயல் உடலுடையோர்க்கு அறிதல் அரிது. அவன் கருணையால் பாவிகளும் பரமபதத்திற்குக் கொண்டு செல்லப்படுகின்றனர்.

Word by Word

• aho: ah!/alas!/oh!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (exclamation)

• īśvara-caryā: the Lord’s conduct/dispensation
• īśvara-caryā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + caryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘ईश्वरस्य चर्या’

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dur-vibhāvyā: hard to comprehend
• dur-vibhāvyā: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (दुर् उपसर्ग) + √bhū (भू धातु) → vibhāvya (कृदन्त/यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/fit-to-be-thought), ‘दुर्विभाव्या’ = दुष्करं विभावयितुम्

• śarīriṇām: of embodied beings
• śarīriṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• pāpa-ātmānaḥ: sinful persons
• pāpa-ātmānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पापः आत्मा येषाम्/पापात्मानः’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/also)

• nīyante: are led
• nīyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (नी धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• kāruṇyāt: out of compassion
• kāruṇyāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāruṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• padam: state/abode
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/speaker (reflective statement in the dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revelatory turn: above the debating figures, a compassionate Īśvara presence (Śiva or a generalized Lord-form) radiates light; sinners and afflicted are shown being gently led upward, while the speaker marvels at the inscrutable divine play.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Kāruṇya
• Parama-pada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace (kāruṇya) can uplift even the fallen; the Lord’s salvific power surpasses human moral accounting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse is theological, praising the Lord’s merciful governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied path is surrender/bhakti that receives the Lord’s compassion.