Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

लोहदंष्ट्रास्ततो रौद्राः सारमेया व्यवस्थिताः । भक्षयंति च ते पापान्पृष्ठमांसा शिनो नरान् । त्रैपक्षिके कृते श्राद्धे तेभ्यो मुक्तिमवाप्नुयुः

Transliteration

lohadaṃṣṭrāstato raudrāḥ sārameyā vyavasthitāḥ | bhakṣayaṃti ca te pāpānpṛṣṭhamāṃsā śino narān | traipakṣike kṛte śrāddhe tebhyo muktimavāpnuyuḥ

Translation

ต่อจากนั้นสุนัขดุร้ายเขี้ยวเหล็กยืนคอยพร้อม; มันกัดกินคนบาป เคี้ยวเนื้อหลังของเขา เมื่อประกอบศราทธ์ตรีปักษะแล้ว สัตว์เหล่านั้นย่อมพ้นจากทรมานนั้น

Word by Word

• लोहदंष्ट्राः: iron-fanged (dogs)
• लोहदंष्ट्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘लोह-दंष्ट्रा:’ (having iron fangs)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• रौद्राः: fierce
• रौद्राः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—सारमेयानाम्

• सारमेयाः: dogs
• सारमेयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• व्यवस्थिताः: stationed
• व्यवस्थिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/PPP; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—सारमेयानाम्

• भक्षयन्ति: devour
• भक्षयन्ति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पापान्: sinful
• पापान्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण—नरान्

• पृष्ठमांसाः: (eating) the flesh of the back
• पृष्ठमांसाः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृष्ठ + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—ते (सारमेयाः); ‘(devouring) back-flesh’/‘back-fleshed’ (i.e., eating the flesh of the back)

• शिनः: ferocious
• शिनः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—ते; ‘तीक्ष्ण/हिंस्र’ (fierce, harmful)

• नरान्: men
• नरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• त्रैपक्षिके: in the traipakṣika (three-fortnight) occasion
• त्रैपक्षिके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैपक्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण—श्राद्धे; ‘त्रैपक्षिक’ (pertaining to three fortnights)

• कृते: when performed
• कृते: Kriya (Circumstantial/सति)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when done)

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचन

• मुक्तिम्: release
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयुः: would obtain
• अवाप्नुयुः: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hellish plain where iron-fanged dogs surround fallen sinners, tearing at their backs; above, a contrasting vignette shows a śrāddha being performed, sending cooling relief.

Characters & Entities

• Sārameya (dogs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pāpa brings correspondingly harsh consequences, yet prescribed ancestral rites can become channels of mercy and release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as dharma-upadeśa within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; it does not name a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The tri-pakṣa (traipakṣika) śrāddha, presented as a means of liberation for the afflicted.