Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स्वस्थावस्थो भविष्यामि मृगमांसस्य भक्षणात् । काशीं प्रति गमिष्यामि मार्गमन्विष्य यत्नतः

Transliteration

svasthāvastho bhaviṣyāmi mṛgamāṃsasya bhakṣaṇāt | kāśīṃ prati gamiṣyāmi mārgamanviṣya yatnataḥ

Translation

«En mangeant la chair de cerf, je retrouverai mes forces ; puis j’irai vers Kāśī, cherchant la route avec soin et effort».

Word by Word

• स्वस्थावस्थः: in a healthy state
• स्वस्थावस्थः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘स्वस्था अवस्था यस्य’/‘स्वस्था-अवस्था’

• भविष्यामि: I will become
• भविष्यामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 1st person, Singular

• मृगमांसस्य: of deer-meat
• मृगमांसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मृगस्य मांसम्

• भक्षणात्: from eating
• भक्षणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Dik/Pratiyogin (Direction/प्रति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition-like)

• गमिष्यामि: I will go
• गमिष्यामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 1st person, Singular

• मार्गम्: the path
• मार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्विष्य: having searched for
• अन्विष्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्वेष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having searched (having sought)

• यत्नतः: with effort
• यत्नतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्नतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, weakened, speaks to himself: meat will restore strength, then he will journey toward Kāśī, searching the path with care.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā) is approached as a deliberate, effortful dharmic journey—yet means chosen on the way must remain righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly mentioned as the intended sacred destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it expresses intent to undertake travel to Kāśī.