Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

रक्तमाल्या सुशोभाढ्या पाशहस्ता मृगेक्षणा । वृक्षारूढावदद्वाक्यं मद्भर्ता प्रेष्यतामिति

Transliteration

raktamālyā suśobhāḍhyā pāśahastā mṛgekṣaṇā | vṛkṣārūḍhāvadadvākyaṃ madbhartā preṣyatāmiti

Translation

นางประดับพวงมาลัยสีแดง งามสง่ารุ่งเรือง ถือบ่วงไว้ในมือ มีดวงตาดุจกวาง—นั่งอยู่บนต้นไม้แล้วกล่าวว่า: “ขอจงนำถ้อยคำนี้ไปบอกแก่สามีของข้า”

Word by Word

• रक्तमाल्या: with a red garland
• रक्तमाल्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; रक्तवर्णा माला यस्याः/या इति

• सुशोभाढ्या: rich in beauty/very splendid
• सुशोभाढ्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभा + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सुशोभया आढ्या इति (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• पाशहस्ता: holding a noose in hand
• पाशहस्ता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाश + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पाशः हस्ते यस्याः/यस्या इति (सप्तमी/अधिकरण-तत्पुरुषार्थ)

• मृगेक्षणा: deer-eyed
• मृगेक्षणा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मृगमिव ईक्षणं यस्याः

• वृक्षारूढा: having climbed a tree
• वृक्षारूढा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष + आरूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वृक्षम् आरूढा इति (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष)

• अवदत्: said/spoke
• अवदत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनार्थे समासपूर्वपद (genitive sense ‘my’); अव्ययवत् पूर्वपद-रूप

• भर्ता: husband
• भर्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रेष्यताम्: let (him) be sent
• प्रेष्यताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्/प्रेष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थे (let him be sent)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-parisamapti (वचन-परिसमाप्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (continuing his report of the woman’s words)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-saṅgama vicinity (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kaṇva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly beautiful maiden with a red garland and red attire sits poised on a tree branch, holding a noose (pāśa). She speaks with authority: a message must be delivered to her husband.

Characters & Entities

• Maiden/woman (unnamed)
• Pāśa (noose)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Symbol-laden encounters in tīrtha narratives emphasize that sacred spaces can reveal hidden bonds of duty and consequence, calling for prompt, responsible action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The saṅgama remains the implied focal point (the husband is said to be there), though it is not named in this verse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the practical act is delivering a message, embedded in the pilgrimage-to-saṅgama context.