Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अवतीर्यमाणस्तु मुनिः शूले मांसत्वमागते । अतिसंपीडितो विप्रः शङ्करं मनसागमत्

Transliteration

avatīryamāṇastu muniḥ śūle māṃsatvamāgate | atisaṃpīḍito vipraḥ śaṅkaraṃ manasāgamat

Translation

താഴേക്ക് ഇറങ്ങുമ്പോൾ ശൂലം മുനിയുടെ മാംസത്തിൽ കുത്തിക്കയറി. അത്യന്തം വേദനയിൽ ഞെരുങ്ങിയ ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ മനസ്സിൽ ശങ്കരനെ ശരണം പ്രാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अवतीर्यमाणः: while being made to descend/descending
• अवतीर्यमाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (muniḥ)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शूले: on the stake/spear
• शूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मांसत्वम्: the state of being flesh
• मांसत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसत्व (प्रातिपदिक; मांस + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• आगते: when it had come/occurred
• आगते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past active participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) सह शूले

• अति: excessively
• अति: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/प्रबलार्थक (intensifier)

• संपीडितः: severely pressed/tormented
• संपीडितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + पीड् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vipraḥ)

• विप्रः: the brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शङ्करम्: Shankara (Śiva)
• शङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मनसा: with the mind/mentally
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अगमत्: went/approached
• अगमत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally Sūta-like purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa-sage being lowered; a sharp stake has pierced into flesh. His face shows agony, yet his eyes turn inward in remembrance of Śaṅkara.

Characters & Entities

• Muni
• Vipra
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid extreme suffering, turning inwardly to Śiva (mānasa-śaraṇāgati) is presented as a direct path to protection and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger setting is the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya within the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, where the sacred geography of the Revā region is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the act emphasized is mental remembrance/surrender to Śaṅkara.