Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

न त्वं स्त्री पुरुषो विद्वाञ्जानीह्यात्मानमात्मना । अयं स्वयंकृतोऽनर्थ आवाभ्यां यद्विचेष्टितम्

Transliteration

na tvaṃ strī puruṣo vidvāñjānīhyātmānamātmanā | ayaṃ svayaṃkṛto'nartha āvābhyāṃ yadviceṣṭitam

Translation

你实非女子亦非男子，贤者啊；当以自我认识真我。此祸患乃自作自受，由我二人所行而生。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीय-पुरुष (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• strī: woman
• strī: Pratipādya/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• puruṣaḥ: man
• puruṣaḥ: Pratipādya/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vidvān: learned, wise
• vidvān: Karta-anvaya (qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vid (धातु) + vat (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: विद्वस्-शब्द; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• jānīhi: know
• jānīhi: Kriyā (Predicate verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ātmānam: the self
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd case), एकवचन (Singular)

• ātmanā: by the self
• ātmanā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd case), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• svayam-kṛtaḥ: self-made, done by oneself
• svayam-kṛtaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svayam (अव्यय) + kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• anarthaḥ: misfortune, harm
• anarthaḥ: Pratipādya/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: an-artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• āvābhyām: by us two
• āvābhyām: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुष (1st person pronoun), तृतीया (Instrumental), द्विवचन (Dual)

• yat: which, whatever
• yat: Sambandha (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative)

• viceṣṭitam: the act/deed performed
• viceṣṭitam: Pratipādya (that which was done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi + ceṣṭ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used as noun); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sumedhā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sober dialogue scene: a learned person being instructed to abandon gender/body-identification and recognize the Self; the atmosphere is introspective, with minimal external action—two figures seated, one admonishing with calm authority.

Characters & Entities

• Sumedhā
• Sāmavatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True identity is the Ātman beyond bodily labels, and suffering is often the fruit of one’s own actions—hence one must return to viveka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes self-knowledge and moral accountability.