Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

श्रृगालगृध्रध्वांक्षाणां परमानंदकारिणी । पिशाचजातिभिः कीर्णं पीत्वाऽमिषं सशोणितम्

Transliteration

śrṛgālagṛdhradhvāṃkṣāṇāṃ paramānaṃdakāriṇī | piśācajātibhiḥ kīrṇaṃ pītvā'miṣaṃ saśoṇitam

Translation

وہ گیدڑوں، گِدھوں اور کوّوں کے لیے انتہائی مسرت کا سبب بن گئی؛ اور پِشाचوں کے جھنڈوں سے بھری ہوئی، اس نے خون سمیت گوشت پی لیا۔

Word by Word

• शृगालगृध्रध्वांक्षाणाम्: of jackals, vultures, and crows
• शृगालगृध्रध्वांक्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृगाल + गृध्र + ध्वाङ्क्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; इतरेतरद्वन्द्व; Genitive plural

• परमानन्दकारिणी: giving supreme delight
• परमानन्दकारिणी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + आनन्द + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘परमं आनन्दं करोति’ इति; Nominative singular feminine

• पिशाचजातिभिः: by/with tribes of piśācas
• पिशाचजातिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• कीर्णम्: strewn, scattered
• कीर्णम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्ण (कृदन्त; √कॄ/√किर् विक्षेपे)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle; agrees with implied neuter object/context

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having drunk’

• अमिषम्: flesh, meat
• अमिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• सशोणितम्: with blood
• सशोणितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + शोणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शोणितसहित’ इति; Accusative singular neuter

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jackals, vultures, and crows gather in ecstatic frenzy over the battlefield; shadowy piśāca hosts swarm, drinking blood and consuming flesh; the air is thick with cries and flapping wings.

Characters & Entities

• Piśāca
• Jackals
• Vultures
• Crows

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It starkly contrasts sacred order (dharma) with the chaos of adharma, using piśācas and carrion-eaters as signs of moral and cosmic disorder.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is explicitly named in this verse; it functions as narrative description within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive rather than prescriptive.