Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

वृकश्वानखरोष्ट्रांश्च सूकरीं ग्रामजातिकाम् । योनिमाश्वतरीं प्राप्य तथा महिषसम्भवाम्

Transliteration

vṛkaśvānakharoṣṭrāṃśca sūkarīṃ grāmajātikām | yonimāśvatarīṃ prāpya tathā mahiṣasambhavām

Translation

เขายังกลายเป็นหมาป่า สุนัข ลา และอูฐ และได้เข้าสู่ครรภ์แม่หมูที่เลี้ยงในหมู่บ้าน เขาได้เกิดเป็นล่อ และเช่นเดียวกันได้เกิดเป็นควาย

Word by Word

• वृक-श्वान-खर-उष्ट्रान्: wolves, dogs, donkeys, and camels
• वृक-श्वान-खर-उष्ट्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक) + श्वान (प्रातिपदिक) + खर (प्रातिपदिक) + उष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Accusative plural); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• सूकरीम्: a sow (female pig)
• सूकरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूकरिन्/सूकरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• ग्राम-जातिकाम्: of village breed/domestic
• ग्राम-जातिकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + जातिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ग्रामस्य जातिका) — qualifying सूकरीम्

• योनिम्: womb/species-form
• योनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• आश्वतरीम्: a she-mule (aśvatarī)
• आश्वतरीम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्वतरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular) — apposition to योनिम्

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-आदेश)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — 'having obtained/attained'

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also/likewise)

• महिष-सम्भवाम्: born of a buffalo (buffalo-origin)
• महिष-सम्भवाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महिषस्य सम्भवा) — qualifying (योनिम्)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grim procession of animal embodiments: wolf and dog in wasteland, donkey and camel under loads, a village sow near huts, mule and buffalo in agrarian scenes—human soul trapped in labor and appetite.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛka
• Śvāna
• Khara
• Uṣṭra
• Sūkarī
• Āśvatarī
• Mahiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text stresses the breadth of saṃsāra: harmful karma can propel one through many animal forms, both wild and domesticated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the account of successive rebirths.