Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वनान्ते च स्त्रियो दृष्ट्वा रक्ता रक्ताम्बरान्विताः । रक्तमाल्यानुशोभाढ्या रक्तचन्दनचर्चिताः

Transliteration

vanānte ca striyo dṛṣṭvā raktā raktāmbarānvitāḥ | raktamālyānuśobhāḍhyā raktacandanacarcitāḥ

Translation

Am Waldrand erblickten sie Frauen—rot erglüht, in rote Gewänder gekleidet—geschmückt mit roten Blumengirlanden und mit roter Sandelpaste bestrichen.

Word by Word

• वनान्ते: at the edge of the forest
• वनान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वनस्य अन्ते’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verbal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having seen’

• रक्ताः: red (in appearance)
• रक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (स्त्रियः इति कर्मपदं; वर्णनं स्त्रीणाम्)

• रक्ताम्बरान्विताः: wearing red garments
• रक्ताम्बरान्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ (धातु) उपसर्ग अनु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘रक्ताम्बरेण अन्वित’ (clad in red garments)

• रक्तमाल्य: red garland(s)
• रक्तमाल्य: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• अनुशोभा: additional adornment/beauty
• अनुशोभा: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुशोभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासमध्यपद; शोभा = beauty/adornment)

• आढ्याः: richly endowed
• आढ्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘समृद्ध/युक्त’

• रक्तचन्दनचर्चिताः: smeared with red sandal paste
• रक्तचन्दनचर्चिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्चित (कृदन्त; √चर्च्/चर् (धातु) caus./denom. ‘to smear/anoint’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘रक्तचन्दनेन चर्चित’ (smeared with red sandal)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra forest threshold (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuruśreṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the forest’s edge, a group of women glow in layered reds—garments, garlands, and red sandal—standing as if a ritual procession has paused, their presence both alluring and ominous.

Characters & Entities

• Striyaḥ (women)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage narratives often test discernment—appearances at a tīrtha can signal deeper forces at work.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forest margins near Ādityeśvara-tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is prescribed; the verse highlights visual markers (garlands, sandal paste) as narrative cues.