Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अक्षसूत्रकरो भूत्वा दण्डी मुण्डी च मेखली । शाकयावकभक्षश्च वल्कलाजिनसंवृतः

Transliteration

akṣasūtrakaro bhūtvā daṇḍī muṇḍī ca mekhalī | śākayāvakabhakṣaśca valkalājinasaṃvṛtaḥ

Translation

കയ്യിൽ അക്ഷസൂത്രം ധരിച്ചു, ദണ്ഡധാരിയായി, മുണ്ഡിതശിരസ്സും മേഖലയും ധരിച്ച്; ശാകവും യവകവും ഭുജിച്ച്, വൽക്കല‑അജിനങ്ങളാൽ ആവൃതനായി ജീവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अक्षसूत्रकरः: having a rosary in hand / rosary-holder
• अक्षसूत्रकरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षसूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षसूत्रं करे यस्य/अक्षसूत्रस्य करः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• दण्डी: staff-bearing
• दण्डी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (इन्)

• मुण्डी: shaven-headed
• मुण्डी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (इन्)

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

• मेखली: wearing a girdle
• मेखली: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेखलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (इन्)

• शाकयावकभक्षः: eating vegetables and barley
• शाकयावकभक्षः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + यावक (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शाकं यावकं च भक्षयति/भक्षः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• वल्कलाजिनसंवृतः: clad/covered with bark-garments and antelope-skin
• वल्कलाजिनसंवृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्कल (प्रातिपदिक) + अजिन (प्रातिपदिक) + सं-वृत (वृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) ‘संवृत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (general)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kambu appears as a full ascetic: rosary-string in hand, staff-bearing, shaven head, wearing a belt, clothed in bark and antelope skin, living on vegetables and barley—standing near a forested riverbank hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Kambu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is detailed through concrete disciplines—simplicity of dress, diet, and conduct—showing how restraint becomes a vehicle for sacred attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kambukeśvara, contextualized through the ascetic preparation that leads to the site’s Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ascetic observances: carrying akṣasūtra, staff-bearing (daṇḍī), maunam implied, simple diet (śāka-yāvaka), and ascetic clothing (valkala-ajina).