Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20
मांसमेदोवसाहस्ता हृष्टा नृत्यन्ति संघशः । वामना जटिला मुण्डा लम्बग्रीवोष्ठमूर्द्धजाः
māṃsamedovasāhastā hṛṣṭā nṛtyanti saṃghaśaḥ | vāmanā jaṭilā muṇḍā lambagrīvoṣṭhamūrddhajāḥ
Par troupes ils dansent dans l’allégresse, les mains enduites de chair, de graisse et de suif — nains, aux cheveux emmêlés, la tête rasée, au long cou, aux lèvres proéminentes, portant d’étranges touffes sur le sommet.
Narrator (contextual; describing gaṇa-like beings in Śiva’s retinue)
Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (Avanti/Revā-khaṇḍa context)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A ring of grotesque gaṇas dance in groups, hands smeared with fat and flesh, dwarfish and matted or shaven, with elongated necks and protruding lips; the setting suggests a liminal riverbank/cremation-ground night.
FAQs
The verse portrays the terrifying, liminal forms surrounding Śiva, reminding devotees that the divine encompasses what is fearful and transforms it into sacred order.
The broader passage is set in Amaraṃkaṭa within Revā Khaṇḍa, where Śiva’s presence sanctifies even fierce manifestations.
None; it is descriptive narration.