Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 181

Devanagari script

शरीरं भक्षितं यस्य जुषाणस्य तपो महत् । पिपीलिकाभिर्बहुभिर्दंशैश्चैव समावृतम्

Transliteration

śarīraṃ bhakṣitaṃ yasya juṣāṇasya tapo mahat | pipīlikābhirbahubhirdaṃśaiścaiva samāvṛtam

Translation

Tandis qu’il demeurait voué à sa grande austérité, son corps fut rongé, entièrement couvert de nombreuses fourmis et de leurs morsures.

Word by Word

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भक्षितम्: eaten, devoured
• भक्षितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) → भक्षित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; शरीरम् इति विशेषण

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/genitive), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सामान्य-रूप)

• जुषाणस्य: of (him) who is engaged in/performing
• जुषाणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुष् (धातु) → जुषाण (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle, Ātmanepada sense), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; यस्य इति सम्बन्धेन

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः इति विशेषण

• पिपीलिकाभिः: by ants
• पिपीलिकाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन

• बहुभिः: many
• बहुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पिपीलिकाभिः इति विशेषण

• दंशैः: by bites/stings
• दंशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• समावृतम्: covered, enveloped
• समावृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-वृ (धातु) → समावृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; शरीरम् इति विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan) addressed in surrounding narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic/daitya absorbed in tapas, unmoving, with ants swarming over limbs; the body shows bite-marks yet the face remains composed in concentration.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores unwavering endurance in tapas—steadfastness that does not break even amid severe physical suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra Māhātmya backdrop remains; the verse focuses on the intensity of austerity rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the verse illustrates the ascetic ideal of sustained tapas.