Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

प्रभाते मांसशेषं च जम्बुकैर्गृध्रघातिभिः । मच्छरीरोद्भवं चास्थि स्नायुमांसेन चावृतम्

Transliteration

prabhāte māṃsaśeṣaṃ ca jambukairgṛdhraghātibhiḥ | maccharīrodbhavaṃ cāsthi snāyumāṃsena cāvṛtam

Translation

Bei Tagesanbruch rissen Schakale, die Geiermörder, die Fleischreste fort; und ein Knochen aus meinem Leib blieb zurück, noch von Sehnen und Fleisch umhüllt.

Word by Word

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मांसशेषम्: the remaining flesh
• मांसशेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मांसस्य शेषम्)

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

• जम्बुकैः: by jackals
• जम्बुकैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• गृध्रघातिभिः: (those) killing vultures
• गृध्रघातिभिः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक) + घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (गृध्रान् घातयन्ति इति)

• मत्शरीरोद्भवम्: arisen from my body
• मत्शरीरोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (अस्मदर्थ-प्रत्यय, ‘my’) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मम शरीरात् उद्भवम्)

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

• अस्थि: bone
• अस्थि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• स्नायुमांसेन: with sinew and flesh
• स्नायुमांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नायु (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (स्नायु च मांसं च)

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

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

A princess/maiden recounting her former-life account to a king (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) context

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: First light of dawn reveals scattered remains; jackals tug at leftover flesh; a single bone with sinew clings, highlighted as the narrative focus against pale morning sky and river mist.

Characters & Entities

• Jackals (jambuka)
• Vultures (gṛdhra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The body is impermanent, yet in a tīrtha-land even what remains can become the seed for auspicious rebirth through the place’s puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha-zone that culminates in Hanūmanteśvara’s sanctifying influence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse prepares the later tīrtha-māhātmya outcome.