Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

शिशुमारैश्च मकरैर्वज्रकर्तरिसंयुतैः । अन्यैश्च जलजीवैः सा सुहिंस्रैर्मर्मभेदिभिः

Transliteration

śiśumāraiśca makarairvajrakartarisaṃyutaiḥ | anyaiśca jalajīvaiḥ sā suhiṃsrairmarmabhedibhiḥ

Translation

Elle est remplie de śiśumāra et de makara munis de lames tranchantes comme la foudre, et d’autres êtres aquatiques, d’une violence farouche, perçant les points vitaux.

Word by Word

• शिशुमारैः: with dolphins/crocodile-like creatures
• शिशुमारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• मकरैः: with makaras (sea-monsters)
• मकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• वज्रकर्तरिसंयुतैः: equipped with thunderbolt-like scissors/blades
• वज्रकर्तरिसंयुतैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र + कर्तरि + संयुत (सम् + युज् + क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (वज्र-कर्तरिभिः संयुताः)

• अन्यैः: with other
• अन्यैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (जलजीवैः इति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• जलजीवैः: with aquatic creatures
• जलजीवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (जले जीवाः)

• सा: she/that (river)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुहिंस्रैः: very violent
• सुहिंस्रैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + हिंस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मर्मभेदिभिः: piercing vital parts
• मर्मभेदिभिः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मर्म + भेदिन् (भिद् + णिनि, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (मर्माणि भेदयन्ति)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, churning river crowded with fierce dolphins and makaras; their jaws and fins bear vajra-like blades; they attack beings by piercing vital points amid the foul current.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī
• Makara
• Śiśumāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is portrayed as precise and unavoidable for the unprotected; hence the tradition emphasizes dharma, devotion, and meritorious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly site is named in this verse; it continues the Vaitaraṇī portrayal within the Revā Khaṇḍa chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.