Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61
Devanagari script
अधोमुखः संकटेन योनिद्वारेण निःसरेत् । पीडया पीडमानोऽपि चर्मोत्कर्तनतुल्यया
Transliteration
adhomukhaḥ saṃkaṭena yonidvāreṇa niḥsaret | pīḍayā pīḍamāno'pi carmotkartanatulyayā
Translation
Mit dem Gesicht nach unten tritt es durch das enge Tor des Mutterleibes hervor, gequält von einem Schmerz, der dem Abziehen der Haut gleicht.
Word by Word
अधोमुखःdownward-faced
अधोमुखः:
Karta (Subject-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootअधः (अव्यय) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (अधः मुखं यस्य)
संकटेनthrough a narrow passage, with difficulty
संकटेन:
Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
TypeNoun
Rootसंकट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन
योनि-द्वारेणthrough the vaginal door (birth canal)
योनि-द्वारेण:
Karaṇa / Adhikaraṇa (Means/route)
TypeNoun
Rootयोनि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (योनेः द्वारम्)
निःसरेत्would come out, should emerge
निःसरेत्:
Kriyā (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootनिः√सृ (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्-लकार (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
पीडयाby pain
पीडया:
Karaṇa (Instrument/cause)
TypeNoun
Rootपीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन
पीडमानःbeing tormented
पीडमानः:
Karta (Subject-qualifier)
TypeVerb
Rootपीड्यमान (कृदन्त, √पीड् धातु)
Formवर्तमानकाले कर्मणि शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अधोमुखः’/अन्तर्निहित ‘जन्तुः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण
अपिeven, also
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक निपात (particle: even/also)
चर्म-उत्कर्तन-तुल्ययाlike the cutting/tearing of skin
चर्म-उत्कर्तन-तुल्यया:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘पीडया’)
TypeAdjective
Rootचर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कर्तन (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (चर्मोत्कर्तनस्य तुल्या)
Speaker
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The fetus, face downward, forced through the narrow womb-door, pain likened to skin being flayed—depicted symbolically with restraint, emphasizing existential suffering rather than graphic detail.
FAQs
The harshness of birth is used to cultivate detachment (vairāgya) and urgency for liberation.
No tīrtha is praised in this verse.
None.