Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

भस्मसाच्च कृतं दृष्ट्वा क्रन्दते कुररी यथा । मातरं पितरं काचिद्दृष्ट्वा विगतचेतनम्

Transliteration

bhasmasācca kṛtaṃ dṛṣṭvā krandate kurarī yathā | mātaraṃ pitaraṃ kāciddṛṣṭvā vigatacetanam

Translation

فلما رأت أحدًا قد صار رمادًا بكت كطائر الكُرَريّ. وأخرى، إذ رأت أمّها وأباها مطروحين بلا وعي، ذهبت عنها رباطة جأشها.

Word by Word

• भस्मसात्: to ashes
• भस्मसात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भस्मसात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (to ashes, into ash-state)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• कृतम्: made, reduced
• कृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (2nd/1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘भस्मसात् कृतम्’ = ‘made into ashes’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund)

• क्रन्दते: cries, wails
• क्रन्दते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्रन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कुररी: a kurarī-bird
• कुररी: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुररी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपमान

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Upama-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• काचित्: a certain (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund)

• विगत-चेतनम्: devoid of consciousness, unconscious
• विगत-चेतनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगत (कृदन्त; वि + √गम् + क्त) + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘विगतं चेतनं यस्य’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa; exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman cries upon seeing a person reduced to ashes; another, seeing her mother and father unconscious, becomes distraught—intergenerational tragedy in one frame.

Characters & Entities

• mātā (mother)
• pitā (father)
• kurarī (bird metaphor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the vulnerability of family bonds to sudden calamity, urging shelter in dharma and compassion for all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a specific tīrtha; it is embedded in the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.