Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र ये पङ्गुतां प्राप्ताः शीर्णघ्राणनखा नराः । दद्रुमण्डलभिन्नाङ्गा मक्षिकाकृमिसंकुलाः

Transliteration

tatra ye paṅgutāṃ prāptāḥ śīrṇaghrāṇanakhā narāḥ | dadrumaṇḍalabhinnāṅgā makṣikākṛmisaṃkulāḥ

Translation

അവിടെ മുടന്തരായവർ, മൂക്കും നഖങ്ങളും ക്ഷയിച്ചവർ; ദദ്രു-വലയ പുണ്ണുകളാൽ ശരീരം പിളർന്നവർ, ഈച്ചകളും കൃമികളും നിറഞ്ഞ് പീഡിതരായവർ (വരുന്നു)।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb) — ‘there’

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• पङ्गुताम्: lameness
• पङ्गुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्गुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्ताः: having attained
• प्राप्ताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शीर्णघ्राणनखाः: with decayed noses and nails
• शीर्णघ्राणनखाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीर्ण + घ्राण + नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; (शीर्ण-घ्राण-नख) = ‘with decayed noses and nails’

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दद्रुमण्डलभिन्नाङ्गाः: with limbs afflicted/split by ring-like eruptions
• दद्रुमण्डलभिन्नाङ्गाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दद्रु + मण्डल + भिन्न + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; ‘whose limbs are split/affected by ring-like eruptions (dadrumaṇḍala)’

• मक्षिकाकृमिसंकुलाः: infested with flies and worms
• मक्षिकाकृमिसंकुलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मक्षिका + कृमि + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; ‘crowded/infested with flies and worms’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāṃvaura Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of afflicted pilgrims—lame, with decayed nails and noses, skin eruptions, and swarming flies—arrive at the Narmadā-bank tirtha, looking toward the shrine with desperate hope.

Characters & Entities

• Sāṃvaura Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as a compassionate refuge, especially for those burdened by severe suffering and bodily afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sāṃvaura Tīrtha, where the narrative highlights relief for the afflicted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it sets the scene for the tīrtha’s remedial and protective power.