Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ऋषीणां षष्टिसाहस्रं कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनाम् । ये च वैखानसा विप्रा दन्तोलूखलिनस्तथा

Transliteration

ṛṣīṇāṃ ṣaṣṭisāhasraṃ kurukṣetranivāsinām | ye ca vaikhānasā viprā dantolūkhalinastathā

Translation

Il y avait soixante mille ṛṣi demeurant à Kurukṣetra; des brāhmaṇa vaikhānasa aussi, ainsi que ces ascètes rigoureux qui vivaient de grains broyés par leurs propres dents.

Word by Word

• ऋषीणाम्: of sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural

• षष्टिसाहस्रम्: sixty thousand
• षष्टिसाहस्रम्: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि-साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; द्विगु-समास (षष्टिः साहस्राणि)

• कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनाम्: dwelling in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र-निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural; (कुरुक्षेत्रे निवासिनः) सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषण (ऋषीणाम्)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed)

• वैखानसाः: Vaikhānasa ascetics
• वैखानसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैखानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; (वैखानसाः इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्)

• दन्तोलूखलिनः: having teeth like a mortar (hard-toothed)
• दन्तोलूखलिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दन्त-उलूखलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; (दन्तैः उलूखलम् इव येषाम्/उलूखलवत् दन्ताः) उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः; विशेषण (विप्राः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/likewise)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta-style narration within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast sacred plain with many hermitages; ranks of sages sit in disciplined rows. Vaikhānasa brāhmaṇas with deer-skins and ladles; extreme ascetics (dantolūkhalin) appear gaunt, chewing grains with their teeth as ‘mortars’.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Ṛṣis
• Vaikhānasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of distress, even great ascetics gather and act collectively, guided by dharma and the counsel of the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra is named as the sages’ residence; the broader passage soon redirects attention to Revā/Narmadā’s sacred bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it describes communities of tapasvins (Vaikhānasa, severe ascetics).