Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

तं खादितुं समायातः श्वाशिरस्युपरिस्थितः । नखांतरालसंलग्ना रक्षा तस्यैव पापिनः

Transliteration

taṃ khādituṃ samāyātaḥ śvāśirasyuparisthitaḥ | nakhāṃtarālasaṃlagnā rakṣā tasyaiva pāpinaḥ

Translation

Als ein Hund kam, um ihn zu fressen, und über seinem Kopf stand, wurde ein Schutzamulett, das zwischen seinen Fingernägeln festsaß, zur eigentlichen Bewahrung jenes Sünders.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खादितुम्: to eat/devour
• खादितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खाद् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive), क्रियार्थ (purpose)

• समायातः: having come/arrived
• समायातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• श्व: of a dog
• श्व: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिरसि: on the head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपरिस्थितः: standing above/upon
• उपरिस्थितः: Karta (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय) + स्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उपरि’ इत्यव्ययपूर्वक-समास

• नखान्तरालसंलग्ना: stuck in the space between the nails
• नखान्तरालसंलग्ना: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तराल (प्रातिपदिक) + संलग्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to रक्षा)

• रक्षा: the protective mark/amulet (protection)
• रक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• पापिनः: of the sinner
• पापिनः: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A corpse lies on the ground; a dog approaches to devour it. Close-up: the dead man’s hand with a small charm wedged between fingernails, glowing subtly as a protective force.

Characters & Entities

• śvā (dog)
• rakṣā (protective charm/amulet)
• pāpī (sinner)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small trace of sacred protection associated with dharma can become a turning point in a fallen person’s fate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, where narratives illustrate how Śiva-linked merit protects and uplifts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the keeping of a rakṣā (protective sacred token) is shown as efficacious; the broader context points to Śaiva protective marks (vibhūti/tripuṇḍra).