Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तथात्र धातवः सप्त नामतस्तान्निबोध मे । त्वगसृङ्मांस मेदोऽस्थिमज्जाशुक्राणि धातवः

Transliteration

tathātra dhātavaḥ sapta nāmatastānnibodha me | tvagasṛṅmāṃsa medo'sthimajjāśukrāṇi dhātavaḥ

Translation

So too, here are the seven bodily constituents—learn them by name from me: skin, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow, and semen are the dhātus.

Word by Word

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'here')

• dhātavaḥ: constituents; bodily elements
• dhātavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन-विशेषण (Numeral used adjectivally)

• nāmatas: by name
• nāmatas: Sambandha (Specification/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'by name/as to name')

• tān: those (them)
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Pronoun; Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• nibodha: know; understand
• nibodha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + budh (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular)

• me: from me / for me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (Pronoun; Genitive/Dative, Singular)

• tvak: skin
• tvak: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• asṛk: blood
• asṛk: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asṛj/asṛk (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• māṃsam: flesh
• māṃsam: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• medaḥ: fat
• medaḥ: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• asthi: bone
• asthi: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• majjā: marrow
• majjā: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: majjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• śukrāṇi: semen; reproductive fluid
• śukrāṇi: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• dhātavaḥ: (these are) constituents
• dhātavaḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Kamaṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhātu-maṇḍala (inner field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Disciple/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-deity (Skanda) instructs a disciple; behind them a schematic mandala of seven layers labeled as dhātus, rendered like concentric terrains.

Characters & Entities

• Sapta-dhātu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

By analyzing the body into constituents, attachment is weakened and discernment (viveka) is strengthened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is anatomical/constitutive teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a doctrinal enumeration.