Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 114

Devanagari script

जायते योनिकोटीषु मृतः कर्मवशात्पुनः । देहभेदेन यः पुंसां वियोगः कर्मसंख्यया

Transliteration

jāyate yonikoṭīṣu mṛtaḥ karmavaśātpunaḥ | dehabhedena yaḥ puṃsāṃ viyogaḥ karmasaṃkhyayā

Translation

கர்மவசத்தால் இறந்த ஜீவன் மீண்டும் கோடிக்கணக்கான யோனிகளில் பிறக்கிறது. மனிதருக்கு ‘மரணம்’ எனப்படும் பிரிவு வெறும் உடல் மாற்றமே; அது கர்மத்தின் கணக்கும் வலிமையும் படி நிகழ்கிறது.

Word by Word

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• योनिकोटीषु: in millions of wombs/births
• योनिकोटीषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (योन्याः कोटयः)

• मृतः: dead (one)
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle: dead)

• कर्मवशात्: due to the power of karma
• कर्मवशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे पञ्चमी (ablatival adverbial): ‘-वशात्’; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कर्मणः वशः)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: again)

• देहभेदेन: by separation of the body
• देहभेदेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (देहस्य भेदः)

• यः: which/who
• यः: Sambandha (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• पुंसाम्: of men/of people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वियोगः: separation
• वियोगः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्मसंख्यया: by the count/measure of karmas
• कर्मसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कर्मणां संख्या)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wheel of saṃsāra with countless womb-symbols; a soul-figure carried by a ledger-bearing Karma; beside it, a serene Śiva-liṅga radiating a path out of the wheel.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death is not an end but a karmically governed transition; one should live dharmically to shape future births.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it presents a general Purāṇic teaching on karma and rebirth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied discipline is ethical living (dharma) to purify karma.