Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अनावृष्ट्या महेन्द्रस्य संजातश्चौषधीक्षयः । ततोऽस्म्यहं श्वमांसेन विश्वामित्रेण योजितः

Transliteration

anāvṛṣṭyā mahendrasya saṃjātaścauṣadhīkṣayaḥ | tato'smyahaṃ śvamāṃsena viśvāmitreṇa yojitaḥ

Translation

మహేంద్రుడు (ఇంద్రుడు) వర్షం కురిపించకపోవడంతో ఔషధి-వనస్పతులు క్షీణించాయి. అప్పుడు విశ్వామిత్రుడు నన్ను బలవంతంగా శ్వమాంసభక్షణానికి నియోగించాడు.

Word by Word

• अनावृष्ट्या: due to drought/lack of rain
• अनावृष्ट्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनावृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (by reason of)

• महेन्द्रस्य: of Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संजातः: arose/occurred
• संजातः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘arisen/occurred’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• औषधीक्षयः: depletion of herbs/medicinal plants
• औषधीक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: औषधीनां क्षयः), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb), ‘then/thereupon’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/अस्ति-अर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्वमांसेन: with dog-meat
• श्वमांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वमांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्वामित्रेण: by Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रेण: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• योजितः: was made to partake/was employed/was joined
• योजितः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Agni (context continued)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast tableau: parched earth and withered herbs due to lack of rain; Viśvāmitra in ascetic garb compels a desperate act involving dog-flesh; Agni’s distress is emphasized as ritual purity is threatened.

Characters & Entities

• Mahendra (Indra)
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rain and dharmic order are disrupted, society falls into moral emergencies; even the great face severe dilemmas under famine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse supports the chapter’s broader tīrtha-māhātmya context by explaining a crisis preceding restoration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes consequences of drought and the pressure of survival leading to prohibited food (abhakṣya).