Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

तं खादितुं समायातः श्वाशिरस्युपरिस्थितः । नखांतरालसंलग्ना रक्षा तस्यैव पापिनः

Transliteration

taṃ khādituṃ samāyātaḥ śvāśirasyuparisthitaḥ | nakhāṃtarālasaṃlagnā rakṣā tasyaiva pāpinaḥ

Translation

เมื่อสุนัขตัวหนึ่งมาจะกัดกินเขา ยืนอยู่เหนือศีรษะของเขา เครื่องคุ้มครองที่ติดค้างอยู่ระหว่างเล็บของคนบาปนั้นเอง กลับเป็นเกราะป้องกันแก่เขา

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खादितुम्: to eat/devour
• खादितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खाद् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive), क्रियार्थ (purpose)

• समायातः: having come/arrived
• समायातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• श्व: of a dog
• श्व: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिरसि: on the head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपरिस्थितः: standing above/upon
• उपरिस्थितः: Karta (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय) + स्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उपरि’ इत्यव्ययपूर्वक-समास

• नखान्तरालसंलग्ना: stuck in the space between the nails
• नखान्तरालसंलग्ना: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तराल (प्रातिपदिक) + संलग्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to रक्षा)

• रक्षा: the protective mark/amulet (protection)
• रक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• पापिनः: of the sinner
• पापिनः: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A corpse lies on the ground; a dog approaches to devour it. Close-up: the dead man’s hand with a small charm wedged between fingernails, glowing subtly as a protective force.

Characters & Entities

• śvā (dog)
• rakṣā (protective charm/amulet)
• pāpī (sinner)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small trace of sacred protection associated with dharma can become a turning point in a fallen person’s fate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, where narratives illustrate how Śiva-linked merit protects and uplifts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the keeping of a rakṣā (protective sacred token) is shown as efficacious; the broader context points to Śaiva protective marks (vibhūti/tripuṇḍra).