Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

शरीरं भेदयेद्यस्तु गौर्याश्चैव समीपतः । तस्मिन्कर्मप्रविष्टस्य उत्क्रान्तिर्जायते यदि

Transliteration

śarīraṃ bhedayedyastu gauryāścaiva samīpataḥ | tasminkarmapraviṣṭasya utkrāntirjāyate yadi

Translation

Wer in der Nähe Gaurīs den Körper durchbohrt (kasteit); und wenn, während er in jenes Ritual vertieft ist, der «Aufbruch» (der Tod) eintritt—

Word by Word

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भेदयेत्: should pierce/split
• भेदयेत्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage (‘should pierce/split’)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘who’ (subject)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• गौर्याः: of Gaurī
• गौर्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘of Gaurī’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/just)

• समीपतः: near, in proximity
• समीपतः: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Spatial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीपतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): ‘from/at close proximity; near’

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘in that (state/time)’

• कर्मप्रविष्टस्य: of one engaged in the rite/action
• कर्मप्रविष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त) [प्र+विश् (धातु) → प्रविष्ट]
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (one who has entered into the act/ritual); qualifying an implied person

• उत्क्रान्तिः: departure (of life), passing away
• उत्क्रान्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्क्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जायते: occurs
• जायते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘arises/occurs’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Hetu/Śarta (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तबोधक (conditional particle: ‘if’)

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaurī-sannidhi at a Revā-tīrtha (unnamed)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Gaurī shrine beside a river; an ascetic engaged in intense mortification (symbolic body-piercing/penance) while attendants watch; the moment is solemn, hinting at the threshold of life and death (utkrānti).

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Utkrānti (death)
• Revā (Narmadā) Tīrtha
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites performed in the immediate presence of the Divine (Gaurī) sanctify even life-and-death moments, transforming their spiritual outcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Gaurī-associated spot within the Revā tīrtha landscape in Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A severe bodily austerity/rite performed near Gaurī, with emphasis on the sanctity of dying while engaged in the observance.