Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दीर्घजिह्वा करालास्या तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रा दुरासदा । वृद्धा नारी कुरुश्रेष्ठ दृष्टान्या ऋषिपुंगवैः

Transliteration

dīrghajihvā karālāsyā tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrā durāsadā | vṛddhā nārī kuruśreṣṭha dṛṣṭānyā ṛṣipuṃgavaiḥ

Translation

แล้วเหล่าฤๅษีผู้ประเสริฐก็เห็นอีกผู้หนึ่ง—สตรีชรา โอ้ยอดแห่งกุรุ—ลิ้นยาว ปากอ้ากว้างน่าสยดสยอง เขี้ยวคม และยากจะเข้าใกล้

Word by Word

• दीर्घजिह्वा: having a long tongue
• दीर्घजिह्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दीर्घा जिह्वा यस्याः’

• करालास्या: with a gaping/terrible mouth
• करालास्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘करालम् आस्यम् यस्याः’

• तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रा: having sharp fangs
• तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीक्ष्णा दंष्ट्रा यस्याः’

• दुरासदा: difficult to approach
• दुरासदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आसद (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; आ+√सद् (धातु) ‘to approach’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘दुष्करम् आसदनम्’ (hard to approach)

• वृद्धा: old
• वृद्धा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कुरूणां श्रेष्ठ’ (vocative address)

• दृष्टा: was seen
• दृष्टा: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त; √दृश्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — विधेय (was seen)

• अन्या: another
• अन्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऋषिपुंगवैः: by the foremost sages
• ऋषिपुंगवैः: Kartr-karana (Agentive instrument/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ऋषीणां पुंगवाः’ (bulls among sages)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra encounter-point (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuruśreṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged, terrifying woman emerges—long tongue, gaping mouth, sharp fangs—hard to approach; sages recoil yet remain composed, their ascetic calm contrasting her grotesque form.

Characters & Entities

• Kuruśreṣṭha (addressed listener)
• Ṛṣipuṃgava (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even near sacred places, disturbing forms may arise—steadfastness and discernment are essential on the dharmic path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The events occur in the approach narrative connected with Ādityeśvara-tīrtha in Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive within an unfolding episode.