Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18
शिवदूता ऊचुः । एषाग्रे दृश्यते वृद्धा चांडाली मरणोन्मुखी । एतामानेतुमायाताः संदिष्टा प्रभुणा वयम्
śivadūtā ūcuḥ | eṣāgre dṛśyate vṛddhā cāṃḍālī maraṇonmukhī | etāmānetumāyātāḥ saṃdiṣṭā prabhuṇā vayam
The Śiva-messengers said: “Here in front is seen an old caṇḍālī, an outcaste woman, facing death. Commanded by our Lord, we have come to bring her.”
Śivadūtas
Listener: The questioning narrator/authority figure
Scene: Śiva-messengers speak in unison, pointing to an aged outcaste woman lying or seated, frail and near death; their faces are firm yet compassionate, indicating they act under Śiva’s direct command; the woman is illuminated by a gentle sacred glow despite her social marginalization.
FAQs
Śiva’s grace can uplift even the socially marginalized; divine deliverance is not limited by birth-status.
No particular site is named in this verse; the emphasis is on Śiva’s command and salvific action.
None; the verse narrates a divine mandate to escort the dying.