Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

न च भक्त्या महाराज पक्षियोनिसमुद्भवः । अथासौ मृत्युमापन्नः कालेन महता शुकः

Transliteration

na ca bhaktyā mahārāja pakṣiyonisamudbhavaḥ | athāsau mṛtyumāpannaḥ kālena mahatā śukaḥ

Translation

大王啊，那只鹦鹉虽生于鸟类之身，却尚未因奉爱（bhakti）而得其果报。经由漫长岁月，那名为舒迦（Śuka）的鹦鹉终于命终。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वय (and)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• पक्षि-योनि-समुद्भवः: one born from a bird-womb (of bird species)
• पक्षि-योनि-समुद्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पक्षिणां योनि: तस्यां समुद्भवः)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव (then/now)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दूरवाचक सर्वनाम

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपन्नः: having reached, fallen into
• आपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्राप्तः/गतः’

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• महता: great, mighty
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying कालेन)

• शुकः: the parrot
• शुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic storyteller within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Acaleśvara/Arbuda kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The parrot, aged by time, falls silent; the forest dims, suggesting the inevitability of death and the unseen continuity of karma.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka (parrot)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodied life is governed by time and karma; without sustained devotion and right practice, beings continue through death and rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding narrative is oriented toward Acaleśvara in the Arbuda (Mount Abu) sacred landscape, where pradakṣiṇā becomes central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it sets up the later emphasis on pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation).