Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

स विप्रः कर्मणा नीतो दशार्णधरणीपतेः । वज्रबाहुकुटुंबिन्याः सुमत्या गर्भमास्थितः

Transliteration

sa vipraḥ karmaṇā nīto daśārṇadharaṇīpateḥ | vajrabāhukuṭuṃbinyāḥ sumatyā garbhamāsthitaḥ

Translation

พราหมณ์ผู้นั้นถูกกรรมชักนำไปยังแผ่นดินแห่งทศารณะ และได้เข้าไปสถิตในครรภ์ของสุมัตี มเหสีเอกในราชสกุลของพระราชาวัชรพาหุ

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विप्रः: the brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कर्मणा: by (his) karma
• कर्मणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• नीतः: was led
• नीतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) → नीत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियार्थे ‘was led’

• दशार्णधरणीपतेः: of the king of Daśārṇa country
• दशार्णधरणीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशार्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘दशार्णानां धरण्याः पतिः’ = ‘lord of the Daśārṇa land’

• वज्रबाहुकुटुंबिन्याः: of (queen) the wife of Vajrabāhu
• वज्रबाहुकुटुंबिन्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रबाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + कुटुंबिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘वज्रबाहोः कुटुंबिनी’ = ‘wife/consort of Vajrabāhu’

• सुमत्या: by/through (queen) Sumati
• सुमत्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/means; also agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; (नाम)

• गर्भम्: womb/pregnancy
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आस्थितः: entered (the womb)
• आस्थितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) → आस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियार्थे ‘entered/was situated in’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic rebirth scene: the brāhmaṇa’s subtle body guided by karma toward a royal palace; Queen Sumatī depicted with auspicious pregnancy signs; King Vajrabāhu’s court in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Daśārṇa
• Vajrabāhu
• Sumatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma guides rebirth, determining place, family, and circumstances—even leading a brāhmaṇa into a royal womb.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse identifies the region of Daśārṇa as part of the narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a karmic-rebirth description.