Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तन्मध्येन ततो याति गात्रोद्वर्त्तप्रभावतः । कारीषैर्नाम चात्युग्रैर्भक्ष्यते नैव कीटकैः

Transliteration

tanmadhyena tato yāti gātrodvarttaprabhāvataḥ | kārīṣairnāma cātyugrairbhakṣyate naiva kīṭakaiḥ

Translation

Passant par son milieu, il avance grâce à la puissance de l’onction du corps. Et même s’il y a des êtres farouches nommés Kārīṣas, il n’est nullement dévoré par les insectes.

Word by Word

• तन्मध्येन: through its middle
• तन्मध्येन: Karana (Instrument/Path/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य मध्येन = through its middle)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from there/then')

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गात्रोद्वर्त्तप्रभावतः: due to the power of the body-rubbing
• गात्रोद्वर्त्तप्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्वर्त्त (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गात्रोद्वर्त्तनस्य प्रभावः)

• कारीषैः: by (means of) dung/ashes-cakes (kārīṣa)
• कारीषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• नाम: indeed/by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/ख्यात्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'indeed/by name')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• अत्युग्रैः: very fierce/strong
• अत्युग्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'kārīṣaiḥ')

• भक्ष्यते: is eaten/consumed
• भक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'is eaten')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: 'indeed/at all')

• कीटकैः: by insects/worms
• कीटकैः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृ-करण-रूपेण (agent in passive)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim moves through a dark cave corridor; shadowy fierce forms (Kārīṣas) lurk but recoil; swarms of insects part harmlessly; the pilgrim’s body bears a faint protective sheen from the anointing.

Characters & Entities

• Kārīṣas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and devotion are depicted as protective forces that carry the pilgrim safely through perilous, unseen realms.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the description of a sacred ‘bila’ route within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa landscape rather than naming a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proceed through the opening relying on the efficacy of the gātra-udvartana; it grants protection from harmful creatures.