Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अष्टमे नवमे मासि भृशमुद्विजते ततः । जरायुणा वेष्टितांगो मुखे बद्धकरांगुलिः

Transliteration

aṣṭame navame māsi bhṛśamudvijate tataḥ | jarāyuṇā veṣṭitāṃgo mukhe baddhakarāṃguliḥ

Translation

Im achten und neunten Monat gerät es in große Bedrängnis. Von der Fruchthülle (jarāyu) umwunden, sind seine Glieder eingeschlossen, und die Finger sind nahe am Mund gebunden.

Word by Word

• अष्टमे: in the eighth (month)
• अष्टमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• नवमे: in the ninth (month)
• नवमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb/very, greatly)

• उद्विजते: becomes anxious/is distressed
• उद्विजते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√विज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb/then, thereafter)

• जरायुणा: by the placenta/chorion
• जरायुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वेष्टित-अङ्गः: whose body is wrapped
• वेष्टित-अङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष्टित (√वेष्ट् धातु, क्त) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य अङ्गं वेष्टितम्)

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• बद्ध-कर-अङ्गुलिः: whose fingers of the hand are bound (to the mouth)
• बद्ध-कर-अङ्गुलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध (√बन्ध् धातु, क्त) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य कराङ्गुलिः बद्धा)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by section-wide deduction (Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Symbolic depiction of fetal distress in the eighth/ninth months: the fetus curled, enclosed by jarāyu (caul) as translucent veils; fingers near mouth; a sense of tightness and yearning for release, rendered respectfully and allegorically.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering accompanies embodiment even before birth; this encourages liberation-seeking and compassionate dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No location is mentioned; the theme is saṃsāra and prenatal suffering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is directly stated.