Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तत्कथं शोभनं पिंडं भवेद्ब्रूहि कपेऽधुना । अतीव धवलाः शुद्धाः पटा यत्संगमेनहि

Transliteration

tatkathaṃ śobhanaṃ piṃḍaṃ bhavedbrūhi kape'dhunā | atīva dhavalāḥ śuddhāḥ paṭā yatsaṃgamenahi

Translation

అయితే ఇప్పుడు చెప్పు, ఓ కపి—ఈ దేహపిండము నిజంగా శోభనమై ఎలా ఉంటుంది? ఎందుకంటే దీని స్పర్శతో అతి ధవళమైన శుద్ధ వస్త్రములు కూడా మలినమవుతాయి.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; पिण्डम् इति विशेषण

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• शोभनम्: beautiful/fine
• शोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• पिण्डम्: lump/body-mass
• पिण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: could be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• कपे: O monkey
• कपे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रता-अव्यय (intensifier adverb)

• धवलाः: white
• धवलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; पटा इति विशेषण

• शुद्धाः: clean/pure
• शुद्धाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; पटा इति विशेषण

• पटाः: cloths/garments
• पटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• यत्-सङ्गमेन: by whose contact
• यत्-सङ्गमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'whose contact'); सङ्गमेन—पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet; the vocative kape indicates the listener is Hanumān, and the speaker is a teaching authority within Setukhaṇḍa.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hanumān

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker holds up a pristine white cloth that becomes stained upon contact, using it as a teaching prop; Hanumān watches attentively, the sea breeze moving the cloth near the Setu shore.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Apparent bodily beauty is unstable and misleading; recognizing this supports detachment and spiritual pursuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Setukhaṇḍa, connected to Setu/Rāmeśvaram pilgrimage theology, though this verse itself is philosophical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a didactic argument meant to awaken discrimination (viveka).