Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

दारुणाक्षी शुक्लदन्ती भयस्यापि भयंकरी । सा रुरोद महारावं प्राप्य तां होमभूमिकाम्

Transliteration

dāruṇākṣī śukladantī bhayasyāpi bhayaṃkarī | sā ruroda mahārāvaṃ prāpya tāṃ homabhūmikām

Translation

അവളുടെ കണ്ണുകൾ ഭീകരം, പല്ലുകൾ ശ്വേതം; ഭയത്തെയും ഭയപ്പെടുത്തുന്നത്ര ഭയങ്കരി. ഹോമഭൂമിയിലെത്തിയപ്പോൾ അവൾ ഇടിമുഴക്കംപോലെ മഹാവിലാപം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• dāruṇa-akṣī: having terrifying eyes
• dāruṇa-akṣī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (dāruṇe akṣiṇī yasyāḥ)

• śukla-dantī: having white teeth
• śukla-dantī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + dantin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (śuklāḥ dantāḥ yasyāḥ)

• bhayasya: of fear
• bhayasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even)

• bhayaṃ-karī: fear-causing
• bhayaṃ-karī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + karī (प्रातिपदिक; from √kṛ 'to do', agentive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (bhayaṃ karoti iti)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ruroda: cried, wailed
• ruroda: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rud (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• mahā-rāvam: a great roar
• mahā-rāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + rāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• homa-bhūmikām: the sacrificial ground/platform
• homa-bhūmikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (homasya bhūmikā)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view: dreadful eyes, gleaming white teeth; she reaches the homa-ground and releases a massive, echoing wail that ripples the flames and shakes the onlookers.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Unnamed terrifying woman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual rites can draw confronting forces; fear is met not by panic but by dharmic resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No additional prescription; it describes a disruption at the homa site.