Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

यत्र लोहमुखाः काका यत्र श्वानो भयंकराः । असिपत्त्रवनं चैव यत्र सा कूटशाल्मली

Transliteration

yatra lohamukhāḥ kākā yatra śvāno bhayaṃkarāḥ | asipattravanaṃ caiva yatra sā kūṭaśālmalī

Translation

എവിടെ ഇരുമ്പുകൊക്കുള്ള കാക്കകൾ ഉണ്ടോ, എവിടെ ഭയങ്കര നായകൾ ഉണ്ടോ; എവിടെ അസിപത്ത്രവനം (വാൾ-ഇലകളുടെ കാട്) ഉണ്ടോ, എവിടെ ആ കൂറ്റശാല്മലി (വഞ്ചനാപൂർണ്ണ മുള്ളുമരം) നിലകൊള്ളുന്നുവോ—അവയും ഭയങ്കര സ്ഥലങ്ങൾ.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• लोहमुखाः: iron-beaked
• लोहमुखाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोह + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (लोहमुखं येषां ते) विशेषणम् (काकाः)

• काकाः: crows
• काकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• श्वानः: dogs
• श्वानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (वैकल्पिक रूप; श्वानः = श्वानाः)

• भयंकराः: terrifying
• भयंकराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (श्वानः)

• असिपत्त्रवनम्: the forest of sword-leaves
• असिपत्त्रवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि + पत्त्र + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (असिपत्त्राणां वनम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

• कूटशाल्मली: Kūṭaśālmalī (a hell/tree)
• कूटशाल्मली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूट + शाल्मली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (कूटा शाल्मली) नरक-नाम

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Revā Khaṇḍa (exact speaker not in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrifying forest of blade-like leaves (Asipattravana) with iron-beaked crows circling and fierce dogs guarding; nearby stands the deceptive thorny Kūṭaśālmalī tree, luring and injuring the tormented.

Characters & Entities

• Asipattravana
• Kūṭaśālmalī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vivid naraka imagery functions as moral instruction: one should adopt purifying dharmic practices to avoid suffering born of wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself names infernal locales; the glorified sacred context remains the Revā/Narmadā-centered Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly here; it supports the surrounding instruction about vows and charitable rites that grant safe passage.