Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अहो ईश्वरचर्येयं दुर्विभाव्या शरीरिणाम् । पापात्मानोऽपि नीयंते कारुण्यात्परमं पदम्

Transliteration

aho īśvaracaryeyaṃ durvibhāvyā śarīriṇām | pāpātmāno'pi nīyaṃte kāruṇyātparamaṃ padam

Translation

Ôi! Hạnh dụng của Đấng Tối Thượng thật khó để kẻ mang thân xác thấu hiểu. Nhờ lòng bi mẫn của Ngài, ngay cả kẻ tội lỗi cũng được dẫn đến cảnh giới tối thượng.

Word by Word

• aho: ah!/alas!/oh!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (exclamation)

• īśvara-caryā: the Lord’s conduct/dispensation
• īśvara-caryā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + caryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘ईश्वरस्य चर्या’

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dur-vibhāvyā: hard to comprehend
• dur-vibhāvyā: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (दुर् उपसर्ग) + √bhū (भू धातु) → vibhāvya (कृदन्त/यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/fit-to-be-thought), ‘दुर्विभाव्या’ = दुष्करं विभावयितुम्

• śarīriṇām: of embodied beings
• śarīriṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• pāpa-ātmānaḥ: sinful persons
• pāpa-ātmānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पापः आत्मा येषाम्/पापात्मानः’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/also)

• nīyante: are led
• nīyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (नी धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• kāruṇyāt: out of compassion
• kāruṇyāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāruṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• padam: state/abode
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/speaker (reflective statement in the dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revelatory turn: above the debating figures, a compassionate Īśvara presence (Śiva or a generalized Lord-form) radiates light; sinners and afflicted are shown being gently led upward, while the speaker marvels at the inscrutable divine play.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Kāruṇya
• Parama-pada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace (kāruṇya) can uplift even the fallen; the Lord’s salvific power surpasses human moral accounting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse is theological, praising the Lord’s merciful governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied path is surrender/bhakti that receives the Lord’s compassion.