Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

त्वगसृग्मांसमित्याहुस्त्रिकं मातृसमुद्भवम् । मेदोमज्जास्थिकं प्रोक्तं पितृजं षट्च कौशिकम्

Transliteration

tvagasṛgmāṃsamityāhustrikaṃ mātṛsamudbhavam | medomajjāsthikaṃ proktaṃ pitṛjaṃ ṣaṭca kauśikam

Translation

Peau, sang et chair : cette triade est dite issue de la mère. Graisse, moelle et os sont déclarés venir du père ; et l’on évoque pareillement le groupe sextuple nommé « kauśika ».

Word by Word

• त्वक्: skin
• त्वक्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, nominative/accusative singular)

• असृक्: blood
• असृक्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असृज्/असृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• मांसम्: flesh
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• त्रिकम्: a triad (set of three)
• त्रिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• मातृ-समुद्भवम्: born from the mother
• मातृ-समुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpurusha: 'arising from mother')

• मेदः: fat
• मेदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• मज्जा: marrow
• मज्जा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, nominative/accusative singular)

• अस्थिकम्: bone(-element)
• अस्थिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); अस्थि-सम्बद्धम् (bone-related)

• प्रोक्तम्: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पितृजम्: born from the father
• पितृजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpurusha: 'born of the father')

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्/अविकारी (numeral; used as indeclinable-like in compounds/coordination)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कौशिकम्: pertaining to Kuśika/Kaushika (here: a set termed 'kauśika')
• कौशिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching scene: a sage or divine instructor enumerates bodily constituents—skin, blood, flesh, fat, marrow, bone—mapping them to maternal/paternal origins; disciples listen in a calm hermitage setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

By tracing bodily elements to parental and material causes, it diminishes ego and supports dharmic humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is a doctrinal classification rather than a sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive teaching on embodiment.