Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

शीर्णघ्राणा गतधियो ह्यस्थिचर्मावशेषिताः । तेषां त्वं करुणां देव अचिरेण कुरुष्व ह

Transliteration

śīrṇaghrāṇā gatadhiyo hyasthicarmāvaśeṣitāḥ | teṣāṃ tvaṃ karuṇāṃ deva acireṇa kuruṣva ha

Translation

Selbst denen, deren Geruchssinn verfallen ist, deren Geist erlahmt, die nur noch aus Knochen und Haut bestehen—erweise, o Herr, Erbarmen und tue es ohne Zögern.

Word by Word

• शीर्ण-घ्राणाः: with ruined sense of smell
• शीर्ण-घ्राणाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīrṇa (कृदन्त; शॄ/शी-धातु) + ghrāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (शीर्णं घ्राणं येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• गत-धियः: bereft of understanding
• गत-धियः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; गम्-धातु) + dhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (गता धिः येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अस्थि-चर्म-अवशेषिताः: reduced to bones and skin
• अस्थि-चर्म-अवशेषिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक) + carman (प्रातिपदिक) + avaśeṣita (कृदन्त; शिष्-धातु with अव)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अस्थि-चर्म-एव अवशेषिताः = ‘reduced to bones and skin’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• करुणाम्: compassion
• करुणाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अचिरेण: soon
• अचिरेण: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: acira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (instrumental used adverbially: ‘in a short time/soon’)

• कुरुष्व: do / show
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• ह: indeed / surely
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/expletive particle)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-taṭa āśutoṣa-anugraha (swift grace on Narmadā bank)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deva/Īśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated elder, barely bone and skin, supported by family/attendants at the riverbank; the deity’s compassionate gaze and blessing gesture descend swiftly like light.

Characters & Entities

• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s defining response to human frailty is karuṇā—swift compassion toward those in extreme suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request belongs to the Narmadā (Revā) tīrtha milieu of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it is a plea for immediate divine compassion as the fruit of surrender.