Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

मक्षिकाः कीटकाश्चैव पशुपक्षिमृगादयः । पतंगा भूतवेताला पिशाचोरगराक्षसाः

Transliteration

makṣikāḥ kīṭakāścaiva paśupakṣimṛgādayaḥ | pataṃgā bhūtavetālā piśācoragarākṣasāḥ

Translation

ഈച്ചകളും കീടങ്ങളും; പശുക്കൾ, പക്ഷികൾ, മൃഗാദികൾ; പതംഗങ്ങൾ; ഭൂത-വേതാളങ്ങൾ; പിശാചുകൾ, നാഗങ്ങൾ, രാക്ഷസർ—

Word by Word

• मक्षिकाः: flies
• मक्षिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मक्षिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कीटकाः: insects
• कीटकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पशु-पक्षि-मृग-आदयः: animals, birds, deer, and others
• पशु-पक्षि-मृग-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (समाहार/इतरेतर), ‘पशवः पक्षिणः मृगाः आदयः’

• पतंगाः: moths/winged insects
• पतंगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• भूत-वेतालाः: ghosts and vetālas
• भूत-वेतालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (इतरेतर)

• पिशाच-उरग-राक्षसाः: piśācas, serpents, and rākṣasas
• पिशाच-उरग-राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + उरग (प्रातिपदिक) + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (इतरेतर)

Speaker

Yama (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred forest-kṣetra where myriad beings—flies, insects, cattle, birds, deer—coexist with subtle beings (bhūtas, vetālas, piśācas), serpents and rākṣasas, all oriented toward a sanctified center (liṅga/altar/holy grove).

Characters & Entities

• Makṣikāḥ
• Kīṭakāḥ
• Paśu
• Pakṣi
• Mṛga
• Bhūta
• Vetāla
• Piśāca
• Oraga
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s sanctity is depicted as universally effective, extending beyond humans to all orders of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s tīrtha/kṣetra, whose benefits are being described as all-inclusive.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an enumeration preparing for the promised fruit of dying/attaining release in the kṣetra (next verse).