Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

जन्मोद्विग्नं मृतेस्त्रस्तं ग्रस्तं कामादिभिर्नरम् । स्रस्तं यो न यमादिभ्यः पिनाकी पाति पावनः

Transliteration

janmodvignaṃ mṛtestrastaṃ grastaṃ kāmādibhirnaram | srastaṃ yo na yamādibhyaḥ pinākī pāti pāvanaḥ

Translation

ജന്മഭീതിയിൽ വ്യാകുലനും, മരണഭയത്തിൽ ത്രസ്തനും, കാമാദി വികാരങ്ങളിൽ ഗ്രസ്തനുമായ മനുഷ്യനെ പാവനനായ പിനാകീ ശിവൻ യമാദികളുടെ കൈയിൽ വീഴാതെ കാത്തുരക്ഷിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• जन्मोद्विग्नम्: distressed by birth
• जन्मोद्विग्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्विग्न (कृदन्त; उद्+√विज्/√द्विज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जन्मनः उद्विग्नम्)

• मृतेः: of death
• मृतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• त्रस्तम्: terrified
• त्रस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रस्त (कृदन्त; √त्रस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• ग्रस्तम्: seized/overpowered
• ग्रस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रस्त (कृदन्त; √ग्रस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• कामादिभिः: by desire and the like
• कामादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कामः आदयः येषां ते)

• नरम्: a man
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• स्रस्तम्: fallen/ruined
• स्रस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्रस्त (कृदन्त; √स्रंस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (particle of negation)

• यमादिभ्यः: from Yama and others
• यमादिभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (यमः आदयः)

• पिनाकी: Pinākin (Śiva, bearer of the bow Pināka)
• पिनाकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पाति: protects
• पाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पावनः: the purifier
• पावनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (पिनाकी)

Speaker

Deductively: Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A trembling devotee beset by personified Kāma and other passions is sheltered by Pinākī Śiva; Yama’s noose recoils, unable to seize the protected soul, while the Revā flows nearby as a luminous boundary of grace.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Pinākī (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Śiva protects the devotee from fear, passion-driven downfall, and the terrors associated with Yama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa milieu (Revā/Narmadā region) frames the teaching, emphasizing Śiva’s saving grace for pilgrims and devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the implied prescription is Śiva-śaraṇāgati (seeking Śiva as refuge).