Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मार्जारोऽग्निं पदा स्पृष्ट्वा रोगवान्परमांसभुक् । सोदर्यागमनात्षण्ढो दुर्गन्धश्च सुगन्धहृत्

Transliteration

mārjāro'gniṃ padā spṛṣṭvā rogavānparamāṃsabhuk | sodaryāgamanātṣaṇḍho durgandhaśca sugandhahṛt

Translation

കാലാൽ അഗ്നിയെ സ്പർശിക്കുന്നവൻ പൂച്ച-യോണിയിൽ ജനിക്കുന്നു—രോഗിയും മാംസഭോജിയും ആയി. സഹോദരിയോടുള്ള ഗമനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഷണ്ഡ-യോനി ഉണ്ടാകുന്നു; സുഗന്ധം മോഷ്ടിക്കുന്നവൻ ദുർഗന്ധിയാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मार्जारः: a cat
• मार्जारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्जार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• पदा: with the foot
• पदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neuter), तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), एकवचनम् (singular)

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (prior action)

• रोगवान्: diseased
• रोगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• परमांसभुक्: eater of others' flesh
• परमांसभुक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमांस (प्रातिपदिक) + भुक् (प्रातिपदिक; √भुज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• सोदर्यागमनात्: from intercourse/approach to a sister (sodaryā)
• सोदर्यागमनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोदर्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neuter), पञ्चमी (5th case/Ablative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• षण्ढः: a eunuch
• षण्ढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्ढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• दुर्गन्धः: a foul-smelling one
• दुर्गन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

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

• सुगन्धहृत्: one who steals fragrance / perfume-thief
• सुगन्धहृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + हृत् (प्रातिपदिक; √हृ + क्त/कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचनम् (singular)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like moral tableau: a person carelessly touching sacred fire with the foot; a forbidden approach to one’s sister shown as a shadowed transgression; a thief stealing perfume/garlands, followed by symbolic rebirth as a diseased cat and a foul-smelling figure.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect to sacred elements, sexual transgression, and theft are portrayed as causes of suffering and degrading conditions in future birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it is a general karmic instruction within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse implies observance of purity and respect toward fire, and avoidance of theft and forbidden relations.