Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

चित्रकैर्मृगमार्जारैर्हिंस्रैः शम्बरशूकरैः । शशैर्गवयसंयुक्तैः शिखण्डिखरमण्डितम्

Transliteration

citrakairmṛgamārjārairhiṃsraiḥ śambaraśūkaraiḥ | śaśairgavayasaṃyuktaiḥ śikhaṇḍikharamaṇḍitam

Translation

ആ വനത്തിൽ ചിത്രവർണ്ണമുള്ള മൃഗങ്ങളും വനമാർജാരങ്ങളും, ക്രൂരമായ ശംബർ-മൃഗങ്ങളും ശൂകരങ്ങളും നിറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു; അവിടെ ശശകങ്ങളും ഗവയങ്ങളും കൂടെയുണ്ടായിരുന്നു; മയൂരങ്ങളും ഗർദഭങ്ങളും അതിനെ അലങ്കരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• चित्रकैः: with variegated/spotted (ones)
• चित्रकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural (by/with)

• मृगमार्जारैः: with deer and wild-cats
• मृगमार्जारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + मार्जार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वसमासः; instrumental plural

• हिंस्रैः: with ferocious (ones)
• हिंस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिंस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural (fierce)

• शम्बरशूकरैः: with śambara-boars
• शम्बरशूकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर + शूकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शम्बरस्य शूकराः); instrumental plural

• शशैः: with hares
• शशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural

• गवयसंयुक्तैः: associated with gaura/gavaya (wild cattle)
• गवयसंयुक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गवय + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; तृतीया-समर्थ/तत्पुरुषभावः (गवयैः संयुक्ताः); instrumental plural

• शिखण्डिखरमण्डितम्: adorned with peacocks and donkeys (or peacock-donkeys)
• शिखण्डिखरमण्डितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिखण्डि + खर + मण्डित (प्रातिपदिक; √मण्ड् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (शिखण्डिभिः खरैः मण्डितम्/शिखण्डिखरैः मण्डितम्); agreeing with an implied neuter noun (e.g., वनम्/स्थानम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-saṅgama (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (address appears in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense riverside forest teeming with varied fauna—spotted beasts, wildcats, deer and boar, hares and gayal-like bovines—while peacocks punctuate the canopy; the path hints at a nearby sacred confluence.

Characters & Entities

• Urisaṅgama
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha setting is depicted as a complete living world, underscoring the sanctity and fullness of the sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forest region connected with Urisaṅgama on the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive verse supporting the place’s mahātmya.