Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सार्धाभिस्तिसृभिश्छन्नं समंताद्रोमकोटिभिः । शरीरं स्थूलसूक्ष्माभिर्दृश्यादृश्या हि ताः स्मृताः

Transliteration

sārdhābhistisṛbhiśchannaṃ samaṃtādromakoṭibhiḥ | śarīraṃ sthūlasūkṣmābhirdṛśyādṛśyā hi tāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

മൂന്നര കോടി രോമങ്ങളാൽ ശരീരം എല്ലാടവും മൂടപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. അവ രണ്ടുവിധമെന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു—സ്ഥൂലവും സൂക്ഷ്മവും, ദൃശ്യവും അദൃശ്യവും.

Word by Word

• sārdhābhiḥ: with a half more (i.e., three and a half)
• sārdhābhiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sārdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Plural); 'सार्ध' = 'with a half' (used with numerals)

• tisṛbhiḥ: by three
• tisṛbhiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Plural)

• channam: covered
• channam: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: chad (धातु) → channa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Past participle; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• samantāt: on all sides
• samantāt: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'on all sides')

• romakoṭibhiḥ: by crores of hairs
• romakoṭibhiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roma + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (roma-koṭi = 'crores of hairs')

• śarīram: the body
• śarīram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• sthūla-sūkṣmābhiḥ: by (hairs) coarse and subtle
• sthūla-sūkṣmābhiḥ: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthūla + sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Plural); द्वन्द्व (coarse-and-subtle)

• dṛśya-adṛśyāḥ: visible and invisible
• dṛśya-adṛśyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛśya + adṛśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural); द्वन्द्व (visible-and-invisible)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक-निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

• tāḥ: they (those)
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Pronoun; Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/considered
• smṛtāḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Past participle used predicatively; Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Roma-koṭi-āvṛta deha (subtle-gross field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Disciple/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, almost cosmic view of skin covered with innumerable hairs like a starfield; overlay shows two layers—gross visible hairs and subtle invisible filaments—suggesting a hidden energetic sheath.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It emphasizes that the embodied condition includes both visible and subtle layers—encouraging discernment (viveka) beyond mere outward appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; the verse focuses on the constitution of the body.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive classification.