Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

केचिद्वदंति देहस्य कालमेव हि कारणम् । कर्म केचिद्गुणान्केचिद्देहः साधारणो ह्ययम्

Transliteration

kecidvadaṃti dehasya kālameva hi kāraṇam | karma kecidguṇānkeciddehaḥ sādhāraṇo hyayam

Translation

บางท่านกล่าวว่าเหตุแห่งกายมีเพียงกาลเท่านั้น บางท่านว่าเป็นกรรม บางท่านว่าเป็นคุณะ (guṇa) แต่กายนี้เป็นผลร่วมอันทั่วไปของปัจจัยเหล่านั้น

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite: ‘some’)

• वदन्ति: say
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• एव: alone / indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for / indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (causal/assertive particle)

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate nominative)

• कर्म: karma (action)
• कर्म: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (अध्याहृतं ‘कारणम्’) विधेय-नाम

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• गुणान्: qualities (guṇas)
• गुणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मपद (अध्याहृतं ‘कारणम्’)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• देहः: the body
• देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• साधारणः: common / shared
• साधारणः: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थ निपात

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unknown (context not provided; likely a Purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three forces—Time (a wheel/clock), Karma (a ledger/threads), and Guṇas (three colored strands: white/red/black)—converge to shape a human form, indicating shared causality.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla
• Karma
• Guṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodiment arises from multiple interlinked causes—time, karma, and the guṇas—so wisdom lies in transcending attachment to the body.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the passage is doctrinal/philosophical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse offers a framework for understanding causality behind embodiment.