Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्राग्जन्मवासनाभिश्च सर्वभक्षोऽस्मि निर्घृणः । विदुषामपि दुर्लंघ्या प्रकृतिर्वासनामयी

Transliteration

prāgjanmavāsanābhiśca sarvabhakṣo'smi nirghṛṇaḥ | viduṣāmapi durlaṃghyā prakṛtirvāsanāmayī

Translation

پچھلے جنموں کی وासनاؤں کے سبب میں بےرحم ہو کر سب کچھ کھانے والا بن گیا۔ وासनاؤں سے بنی ہوئی فطرت، اہلِ علم کے لیے بھی پار کرنا دشوار ہے۔

Word by Word

• प्राक्: formerly, in a previous (time)
• प्राक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: formerly)

• जन्मवासनाभिः: by the impressions from previous births
• जन्मवासनाभिः: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वासना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण/हेतु), बहुवचन (instrumental plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (janmanaḥ vāsanābhiḥ)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सर्वभक्षः: an eater of everything
• सर्वभक्षः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘सर्वं भक्षयति/भक्ष्यं यस्य’ (one who eats everything)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निर्घृणः: merciless
• निर्घृणः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्घृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इति विशेषण

• विदुषाम्: of the wise
• विदुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• दुर्लङ्घ्या: hard to overcome
• दुर्लङ्घ्या: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लङ्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक; √लङ्घ् + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/नीयतुल्य); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रकृतिः’ इति विशेषण

• प्रकृतिः: nature, disposition
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• वासनामयी: made of impressions, impression-filled
• वासनामयी: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासना (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ—‘वासनामयी’ = ‘वासनाभिः मयी/पूर्णा’ (consisting of impressions)

Speaker

Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative figure reflects on his own former cruelty; behind him, faint shadow-forms symbolize past-life impressions tugging at the mind, while a calm Śiva emblem suggests the path of purification.

Characters & Entities

• vāsanā
• prakṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Past-life tendencies shape behavior; spiritual practice is needed to transcend ingrained impulses, which can challenge even the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on inner dharma and the psychology of vāsanā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; it is a doctrinal reflection on karma and habit.