Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

संप्राप्य मानुषं जन्म बहुदुःखसमाकुलम् । अचिरेण तु कालेन तस्मिन्नेव तु जन्मनि

Transliteration

saṃprāpya mānuṣaṃ janma bahuduḥkhasamākulam | acireṇa tu kālena tasminneva tu janmani

Translation

‘అనేక దుఃఖాలతో నిండిన మానవ జన్మను పొందిన తరువాత, ఎక్కువ కాలం కాకముందే—అదే జన్మలోనే—…’

Word by Word

• संप्राप्य: having attained
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having attained’

• मानुषम्: human
• मानुषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• बहुदुःखसमाकुलम्: full of many sufferings
• बहुदुःखसमाकुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—‘बहुभिः दुःखैः समाकुलम्’ (filled with many sorrows)

• अचिरेण: soon
• अचिरेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (instrumental used adverbially): ‘before long/soon’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• कालेन: in time/after a time
• कालेन: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कालवाचक

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• जन्मनि: in (that) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

Speaker

Gālava (continuing the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic vision-like mood: the offender’s future human life is implied—burdened by suffering—while the sages stand as witnesses to the moral order; the scene feels like time compressing toward inevitable consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Vidyādhara (cursed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering can arise swiftly as karmic maturation; dharma warns against actions that bind one to painful states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra is the broader sacred setting, though this verse itself emphasizes karmic consequence rather than a rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse is part of a curse describing the timing and nature of karmaphala.