Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

रोगी हीनातिरिक्ताङ्गः काणः पौनर्भवस्तथा । अवकीर्णी श्यावदन्तः सर्वाशी वृषलीपतिः

Transliteration

rogī hīnātiriktāṅgaḥ kāṇaḥ paunarbhavastathā | avakīrṇī śyāvadantaḥ sarvāśī vṛṣalīpatiḥ

Translation

रोगी, अवयव कमी-अधिक असलेला, काणा, निंद्य रीतीने पुनर्विवाह केलेला, ब्रह्मचर्यभंग करणारा, काळे दात असलेला, सर्वकाही बेधडक खाणारा, आणि शूद्रा स्त्रीचा पती—हे अयोग्य मानले आहेत।

Word by Word

• rogī: a sick person
• rogī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roga (प्रातिपदिक) + in (इन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (possessor: one having disease)

• hīna-atirikta-aṅgaḥ: having deficient or extra limbs
• hīna-atirikta-aṅgaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक) + atirikta (कृदन्त; √ric/√rikt) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (हीनाङ्गश्च अतिरिक्ताṅgaś्च = with deficient or extra limbs)

• kāṇaḥ: one-eyed/with defective sight
• kāṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• paunarbhavaḥ: one connected with remarriage (offspring of a remarried woman)
• paunarbhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paunarbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (पुनर्भवसम्बन्धी/पुनर्भू-सम्बन्धी)

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यताबोधक ('and likewise')

• avakīrṇī: an avakīrṇin (impure/fallen brahmacārin)
• avakīrṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ava- (उपसर्ग) + kṝ (धातु) → avakīrṇa (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्ताधारित संज्ञा (one who is 'avakīrṇa'—a fallen/impure person, esp. due to semen-discharge in brahmacarya)

• śyāva-dantaḥ: one with dark teeth
• śyāva-dantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śyāva (प्रातिपदिक) + danta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्यावाः दन्ताः यस्य/श्यावदन्तः = having dark teeth)

• sarvāśī: one who eats everything
• sarvāśī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + āśin (प्रातिपदिक; √aś धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वं अश्नाति इति = one who eats everything)

• vṛṣalī-patiḥ: husband of a śūdra woman
• vṛṣalī-patiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣalī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषल्याः पतिः = husband of a śūdra-woman)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-assembly where a teacher enumerates categories deemed unfit for officiation/receiving; the scene is sober, focusing on the gravity of ritual standards rather than caricature.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• brahmacarya (implied by avakīrṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites meant to generate dharmic merit require careful selection aligned with traditional standards of conduct and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the verse gives normative dharma criteria within the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It enumerates categories traditionally regarded as unsuitable in the context of receiving śrāddha offerings or ritual honor.