Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ते ग्रस्ता मृत्युना सर्वे भूतैर्मातृगणैस्तथा । महासुरकपालैश्च मांसमेदोवसोत्कटैः

Transliteration

te grastā mṛtyunā sarve bhūtairmātṛgaṇaistathā | mahāsurakapālaiśca māṃsamedovasotkaṭaiḥ

Translation

Sie alle wurden vom Tod verschlungen—von Heerscharen der bhūtas und von den Scharen der Mütter (Mātṛgaṇa)—zusammen mit gewaltigen Dämonenschädeln, grauenvoll von Fleisch, Fett und Mark.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ग्रस्ताः: devoured, seized
• ग्रस्ताः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु) → ग्रस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्तरि/कर्मणि-भावे ‘swallowed/consumed’

• मृत्युना: by death
• मृत्युना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ते)

• भूतैः: by spirits/beings
• भूतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मातृ-गणैः: by the groups of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृ-गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मातॄणां गणाः)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/रीतिवाचक

• महा-असुर-कपालैः: by the skulls of great demons
• महा-असुर-कपालैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (महासुराणां कपालानि)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय-बोधक

• मांस-मेदस्-वस-उत्कटैः: by (those) reeking with flesh, fat, and grease
• मांस-मेदस्-वस-उत्कटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वस (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (मांसं च मेदश्च वसा च) विशेषणम् ‘उत्कट’ = ‘foul/strong’

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātṛkā companies and bhūtas surge across a corpse-strewn ground; enormous demon skulls with remnants of flesh and marrow; Death personified as an all-grasping force; the scene is night-like with funeral-fire glow.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyu (Death)
• Bhūtas
• Mātṛgaṇas (Mothers)
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death is inescapable in saṃsāra; only alignment with dharma and refuge in the divine transcends fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific pilgrimage site is named; the verse continues a cosmic catastrophe description within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.