Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

शिशुमारैश्च मकरैर्वज्रकर्तरिसंयुतैः । अन्यैश्च जलजीवैः सा सुहिंस्रैर्मर्मभेदिभिः

Transliteration

śiśumāraiśca makarairvajrakartarisaṃyutaiḥ | anyaiśca jalajīvaiḥ sā suhiṃsrairmarmabhedibhiḥ

Translation

Sie ist erfüllt von Śiśumāras und Makara, versehen mit schneidenden Klingen wie Donnerkeile, und von anderen Wasserwesen — grimmig gewalttätig, die die Lebenspunkte durchbohren.

Word by Word

• शिशुमारैः: with dolphins/crocodile-like creatures
• शिशुमारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

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

• मकरैः: with makaras (sea-monsters)
• मकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• वज्रकर्तरिसंयुतैः: equipped with thunderbolt-like scissors/blades
• वज्रकर्तरिसंयुतैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र + कर्तरि + संयुत (सम् + युज् + क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (वज्र-कर्तरिभिः संयुताः)

• अन्यैः: with other
• अन्यैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (जलजीवैः इति)

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

• जलजीवैः: with aquatic creatures
• जलजीवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (जले जीवाः)

• सा: she/that (river)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुहिंस्रैः: very violent
• सुहिंस्रैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + हिंस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मर्मभेदिभिः: piercing vital parts
• मर्मभेदिभिः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मर्म + भेदिन् (भिद् + णिनि, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (मर्माणि भेदयन्ति)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, churning river crowded with fierce dolphins and makaras; their jaws and fins bear vajra-like blades; they attack beings by piercing vital points amid the foul current.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī
• Makara
• Śiśumāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is portrayed as precise and unavoidable for the unprotected; hence the tradition emphasizes dharma, devotion, and meritorious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly site is named in this verse; it continues the Vaitaraṇī portrayal within the Revā Khaṇḍa chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.