Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अनावृष्ट्या महेन्द्रस्य संजातश्चौषधीक्षयः । ततोऽस्म्यहं श्वमांसेन विश्वामित्रेण योजितः

Transliteration

anāvṛṣṭyā mahendrasya saṃjātaścauṣadhīkṣayaḥ | tato'smyahaṃ śvamāṃsena viśvāmitreṇa yojitaḥ

Translation

Vì Mahendra không ban mưa, cây cỏ và dược thảo đều cạn kiệt. Khi đó, ta bị Viśvāmitra ép buộc phải dùng đến thịt chó.

Word by Word

• अनावृष्ट्या: due to drought/lack of rain
• अनावृष्ट्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनावृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (by reason of)

• महेन्द्रस्य: of Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संजातः: arose/occurred
• संजातः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘arisen/occurred’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• औषधीक्षयः: depletion of herbs/medicinal plants
• औषधीक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: औषधीनां क्षयः), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb), ‘then/thereupon’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/अस्ति-अर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्वमांसेन: with dog-meat
• श्वमांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वमांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्वामित्रेण: by Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रेण: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• योजितः: was made to partake/was employed/was joined
• योजितः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Agni (context continued)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast tableau: parched earth and withered herbs due to lack of rain; Viśvāmitra in ascetic garb compels a desperate act involving dog-flesh; Agni’s distress is emphasized as ritual purity is threatened.

Characters & Entities

• Mahendra (Indra)
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rain and dharmic order are disrupted, society falls into moral emergencies; even the great face severe dilemmas under famine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse supports the chapter’s broader tīrtha-māhātmya context by explaining a crisis preceding restoration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes consequences of drought and the pressure of survival leading to prohibited food (abhakṣya).