Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

याति मज्जेदधौ पंके गोमये वा न जीवति । केशांगारैस्तथा भस्मभुजंगैर्निजलां नदीम्

Transliteration

yāti majjedadhau paṃke gomaye vā na jīvati | keśāṃgāraistathā bhasmabhujaṃgairnijalāṃ nadīm

Translation

Kung sa panaginip ang tao ay pumunta at lumubog sa gatas-asim, sa putik, o sa dumi ng baka, hindi siya makaliligtas. Gayundin, kung makita ang isang ilog na ang “tubig” ay hindi tunay na tubig—punô ng buhok, baga, at mga ahas na yari sa abo—ito rin ay tanda ng kamatayan.

Word by Word

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• majjēt: should sink/drown
• majjēt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: majj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• adhau: below, underneath
• adhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) 'below/under' (locative sense)

• paṅke: in mud
• paṅke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचन

• gomaye: in cow-dung
• gomaye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• jīvati: lives, survives
• jīvati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• keśāṅgāraiḥ: with hair-coals/embers
• keśāṅgāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'keśānām aṅgārāḥ' = coals of hair / hair-like coals

• tathā: also, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) 'thus/also'

• bhasma-bhujaṅgaiḥ: with ash-serpents
• bhasma-bhujaṅgaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhujaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'bhasmani bhujaṅgāḥ' / 'bhasma-sambandhinaḥ bhujaṅgāḥ'

• nijalām: waterless (or having its own water)
• nijalām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'nīra-rahitā' (interpretable as 'waterless/with its own water' depending on tradition); qualifies nadīm

• nadīm: river
• nadīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A nightmare sequence: the dreamer sinks into curd, mire, or cow-dung; then beholds a river whose ‘water’ is hair, glowing embers, and ash-formed serpents—an anti-sacred river vision.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dreams reflecting impurity, inversion of nature, and dread imagery are presented as warnings—encouraging vigilance, repentance, and renewed dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to a broader Purāṇic discussion of omens (ariṣṭa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse functions as a diagnostic omen-description rather than a vrata or dāna instruction.