Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

शरस्तंबैः सुसंपृक्तं रक्षोभिश्च पिशाचकैः । सा तत्र सहसा गत्वा शैलपूष्ठं सुदुर्गमम्

Transliteration

śarastaṃbaiḥ susaṃpṛktaṃ rakṣobhiśca piśācakaiḥ | sā tatra sahasā gatvā śailapūṣṭhaṃ sudurgamam

Translation

Ce lieu était épais de roseaux et infesté de rākṣasas et de piśācas. Elle s’y rendit soudain, vers une arête de montagne des plus inaccessibles.

Word by Word

• शरस्तंबैः: with clumps of reeds/arrows (śara-stalks)
• शरस्तंबैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर + स्तम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शराणां स्तम्बाः)

• सुसंपृक्तम्: well-mixed / thoroughly intermingled
• सुसंपृक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + सम् + पृच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• रक्षोभिः: with rākṣasas
• रक्षोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• पिशाचकैः: with piśācas (ghouls)
• पिशाचकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: suddenly/quickly)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• शैलपूष्ठम्: the mountain-back / mountain ridge
• शैलपूष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शैलस्य पृष्ठम्)

• सुदुर्गमम्: very difficult to access
• सुदुर्गमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक; गम्-धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय (सु=अत्यन्त + दुर्गम)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śvetaparvata (approach zone)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wild marshy slope thick with tall reeds; shadowy rākṣasas and piśācas lurk. The Garuḍī-form figure darts upward toward a narrow, rocky, nearly unreachable ridge on the mountain’s back.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasas
• Piśācas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas portray sacred quests as passing through perilous spaces—steadfastness amid fearsome forces is part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A mountain ridge in the Śvetaparvata setting is described, but no named tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is topographical and narrative.