Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

गुणैर्भूतानि सृज्यंते भ्राम्यंते निजकर्मभिः । कालेनाथ विकृष्यंते वासनायां च शेरते

Transliteration

guṇairbhūtāni sṛjyaṃte bhrāmyaṃte nijakarmabhiḥ | kālenātha vikṛṣyaṃte vāsanāyāṃ ca śerate

Translation

مخلوقات گُنوں سے پیدا ہوتی ہیں اور اپنے ہی اعمال کے سبب بھٹکتی رہتی ہیں؛ پھر زمانہ انہیں کھینچ لے جاتا ہے اور وہ اپنی وासनاؤں میں بندھی پڑی رہتی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• guṇaiḥ: by the qualities (guṇas)
• guṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• bhūtāni: beings/elements
• bhūtāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• sṛjyante: are created
• sṛjyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive/middle sense): ‘are created’

• bhrāmyante: wander/are deluded
• bhrāmyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhram (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural

• nija-karmabhiḥ: by their own actions
• nija-karmabhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘nija’ = own)

• kālena: by time
• kālena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• atha: then/and
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle/conjunction (अनन्तरार्थक/अथ)

• vikṛṣyante: are pulled away
• vikṛṣyante: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural; passive/middle sense: ‘are drawn away’

• vāsanāyām: in latent impressions
• vāsanāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चयार्थक)

• śerate: lie/rest
• śerate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śī (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural

Speaker

Ṛṣabha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic wheel of samsara: three colored strands (white sattva, red rajas, black tamas) weave bodies; a figure is pulled by a Time-deity (Kāla) while vāsanā-seeds lie like knots binding the mind.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣabha
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṃsāra is driven by guṇas, karma, and vāsanās under the force of Time; liberation requires transcending these.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is doctrinal teaching on karma and bondage.