Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64
Devanagari script
तथा पापीयसीं योनिं क्वचित्पापेन गच्छति । साम्ये पुण्यान्ययोश्चैव मानुषीं योनिमाप्तवान्
Transliteration
tathā pāpīyasīṃ yoniṃ kvacitpāpena gacchati | sāmye puṇyānyayoścaiva mānuṣīṃ yonimāptavān
Translation
同样地，因罪业有时会趋入更下劣的胎生；而当福与罪势均力敌之时，便得人身之生。
Word by Word
तथाthus, likewise
तथा:
Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/likewise)
पापीयसीम्more sinful, worse
पापीयसीम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ईयसुन् (तद्धित; comparative)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative)
योनिम्womb, birth-state
योनिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयोनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन
क्वचित्sometimes, somewhere
क्वचित्:
Desha-kala-adhikarana (Locative/देश-कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्वचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अनिश्चित-देश/कालवाचक (sometimes/somewhere)
पापेनby sin
पापेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपाप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; हेतु/करणार्थ (by/through sin)
गच्छतिgoes, attains
गच्छति:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√गम् (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
साम्येin (a state of) equality
साम्ये:
Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसाम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अवस्था-वाचक (in equality)
पुण्यानिmerits
पुण्यानि:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन
अयोःof the two (merit and sin)
अयोः:
Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootअयम्/इदम्? (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन; पाठानुसार ‘अयोः’ = ‘अनयोः’ (of the two) इति सन्धि-लोप/पाठभेद सम्भाव्य
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
एवindeed, just
एव:
Nipata (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)
मानुषीम्human
मानुषीम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण
योनिम्womb, birth
योनिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयोनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन
आप्तवान्has obtained, attained
आप्तवान्:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + √आप् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्तवत्; past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि (having obtained)
Speaker
Śrī Guru (continuing instruction)
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Rājan
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A triptych-like allegory: dark, cramped forms suggesting lower yonis on one side; luminous, refined forms suggesting higher yonis on the other; in the center, a human figure at a crossroads, with the guru indicating the path of dharma.
FAQs
Human life is a karmic midpoint and therefore a crucial opportunity to choose dharma and seek liberation.
No tīrtha is named in this verse.
No direct prescription; it frames the moral urgency of practice in human life.