Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

मनसा चेतनायुक्तो नखरोमशतावृतः । सप्तमे चाष्टमे चैव त्वचावान् स्मृतिवानपि

Transliteration

manasā cetanāyukto nakharomaśatāvṛtaḥ | saptame cāṣṭame caiva tvacāvān smṛtivānapi

Translation

Mit Geist und Bewusstsein begabt, von Hunderten Nägeln und Haaren bedeckt, erlangt es im siebten und achten Monat Haut — ja sogar Erinnerung.

Word by Word

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण-कारक (instrumental)

• चेतना-युक्तः: endowed with consciousness
• चेतना-युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चेतना (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• नख-रोम-शत-आवृतः: covered with hundreds of nails and hairs
• नख-रोम-शत-आवृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (कृदन्त, √वृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण; समासार्थः—नखैः रोमभिः शतेन आवृतः

• सप्तमे: in the seventh (month/stage)
• सप्तमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

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

• अष्टमे: in the eighth (month/stage)
• अष्टमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• त्वचा-वान्: having skin
• त्वचा-वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• स्मृति-वान्: having memory
• स्मृति-वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार-अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced for Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a sage instructs a listener about fetal development; a symbolic womb-lotus shows the fetus gaining skin and awareness in late months.

Characters & Entities

• Manas
• Cetanā
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tradition portrays prenatal life as conscious and progressively endowed, strengthening the dharmic duty of protection and compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is praised in this verse; it is part of Revā Khaṇḍa’s instructional narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is mentioned in this line.