Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कृमिकीटपतङ्गेषु तिर्यग्योनिं गतस्य वा । जन्म जन्मान्तरेऽप्यस्तु भक्तिस्त्वयि ममाचला

Transliteration

kṛmikīṭapataṅgeṣu tiryagyoniṃ gatasya vā | janma janmāntare'pyastu bhaktistvayi mamācalā

Translation

แม้ข้าพเจ้าจะไปเกิดในครรภ์ของหนอน แมลง หรือวิหค แม้ตกไปสู่กำเนิดเป็นสัตว์เดรัจฉานใดๆ ก็ตาม ขอให้ภักติของข้าพเจ้าต่อพระองค์มั่นคงไม่หวั่นไหว ทุกชาติทุกภพ

Word by Word

• कृमिकीटपतङ्गेषु: among worms, insects, and birds (moths/flies)
• कृमिकीटपतङ्गेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि + कीट + पतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे नपुंसकत्वं सम्भवति; अत्र बहुवचन-स्थाने सप्तमी-बहुवचन), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—कृमयः च कीटाः च पतङ्गाः च

• तिर्यग्योनिम्: an animal birth (lower womb)
• तिर्यग्योनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक् + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तिर्यग्-योनि (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘तिर्यक् एव योनि’)

• गतस्य: of (me) who has gone/attained
• गतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘गत’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे—‘(मम) गतस्य’

• वा: or; even if
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: ‘or/even if’)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र अव्ययीभाववत् पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगे (idiomatic)

• जन्मान्तरे: in another birth
• जन्मान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—जन्मनः अन्तरम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘even/also’)

• अस्तु: let there be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वयि: in you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अचला: unwavering
• अचला: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भक्तेः)

Speaker

Nandīśvara

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandīśvara prays for unwavering devotion even through worm/insect/bird births; a symbolic wheel of births surrounds the central image of Śiva’s compassionate gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Bhakti
• Saṃsāra (rebirth)
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is the soul’s true wealth—capable of remaining firm even through the cycles of rebirth and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Revā tīrtha tradition that culminates in such steadfast devotion; the verse emphasizes inner transformation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional resolve (bhakti-niścaya): to maintain devotion to Śiva in every condition and every birth.