Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अवादयन्नखौ भैमिः कनिष्ठांगुष्ठजौ हसन् । ततो विनिःसृतास्तत्र द्विगुणा राक्षसादयः

Transliteration

avādayannakhau bhaimiḥ kaniṣṭhāṃguṣṭhajau hasan | tato viniḥsṛtāstatra dviguṇā rākṣasādayaḥ

Translation

हँसते हुए भैमि ने कनिष्ठा और अँगूठे के नखों को बजाया; तब वहीं राक्षस आदि दुगुनी संख्या में प्रकट हो गए।

Word by Word

• अवादयत्: sounded/played (made sound)
• अवादयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नखौ: (two) nails/claws
• नखौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• भैमिः: Bhaimī (Damayantī)
• भैमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठजौ: belonging to the little finger and the thumb
• कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठजौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कनिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्बन्ध: ‘कनिष्ठायाः अङ्गुष्ठस्य च जातौ/सम्बद्धौ’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• हसन्: smiling/laughing
• हसन्: Karta (Concomitant action/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• विनिःसृताः: having come out; emerged
• विनिःसृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निस् + सृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• द्विगुणाः: double; twofold
• द्विगुणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगुण = ‘twofold’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• राक्षसादयः: rakṣasas and others
• राक्षसादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (राक्षसाः आदयः = ‘rakṣasas and others’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhaimī laughs and clicks her nails (thumb and little finger) with a crisp gesture; immediately the already terrifying host doubles, filling the space with looming forms.

Characters & Entities

• Bhaimī
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights how occult power or hostile forces can multiply rapidly, requiring steadiness and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the action is narrative (a gesture producing an effect).