Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

भ्रममाणं गृहीताहिं वध्यमानं निरामिषैः । परस्परं च युयुधुः सर्वेऽप्यामिषकाङ्क्षया

Transliteration

bhramamāṇaṃ gṛhītāhiṃ vadhyamānaṃ nirāmiṣaiḥ | parasparaṃ ca yuyudhuḥ sarve'pyāmiṣakāṅkṣayā

Translation

Tournoyant, tenant un serpent, il était frappé par d’autres oiseaux sans chair. Et tous se battaient les uns contre les autres, poussés par le désir de viande.

Word by Word

• भ्रममाणम्: wandering/whirling
• भ्रममाणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्यय (present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to kuraram)

• गृहीताहिम्: holding a snake
• गृहीताहिम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहीत (√ग्रह् + क्त) + अहि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गृहीतः अहिः येन/यस्य = holding a snake); द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वध्यमानम्: being attacked/killed
• वध्यमानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध् (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे वर्तमानकृदन्त (being killed/struck), पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• निरामिषैः: by those without flesh (meatless ones)
• निरामिषैः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरामिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परस्परम्: mutually/with each other
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्परम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• युयुधुः: fought
• युयुधुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (particle: 'also/even')

• आमिषकाङ्क्षया: due to desire for flesh
• आमिषकाङ्क्षया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमिष + काङ्क्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (आमिषस्य काङ्क्षा)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhṛgutunga-kunda (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An osprey circles with a serpent in its grasp while other birds attack; midair struggle, flapping wings, and chaotic motion depict the frenzy of craving; the king witnesses from below.

Characters & Entities

• Kurara (osprey/eagle)
• Ahi (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Craving (kāma) generates conflict: beings contend and injure each other for fleeting gain, a pattern the tīrtha narrative will soon overturn through grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The conflict is witnessed in the vicinity of the kuṇḍa tīrtha on/near Bhṛgutunga within the Revā-kṣetra account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse functions as moral setup within the tīrtha-māhātmya episode.