Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

मुंडी नग्नो मयूराणां पिच्छधारी महाव्रतः । प्रोवाच चेदं वचनं हाहा कष्टमतीव भोः

Transliteration

muṃḍī nagno mayūrāṇāṃ picchadhārī mahāvrataḥ | provāca cedaṃ vacanaṃ hāhā kaṣṭamatīva bhoḥ

Translation

他剃发秃顶，赤身裸体，披戴孔雀羽，奉持大誓，开口说道：“哎呀，哎呀——此事真是极其悲苦啊，先生！”

Word by Word

• muṃḍī: shaven-headed
• muṃḍī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muṃḍin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘मुंडी/मुण्डी’ = shaven-headed (qualifying subject)

• nagnaḥ: naked
• nagnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nagna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; naked

• mayūrāṇām: of peacocks
• mayūrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mayūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• picchadhārī: feather-wearing
• picchadhārī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piccha + dhārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद): piccha-dhārī = ‘one who bears feathers’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mahāvrataḥ: one of great vow
• mahāvrataḥ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: mahā-vrata = great vow; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac + pra (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘प्रोवाच’ = said/spoke

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• vacanam: speech/words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/apposition to idam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• hāhā: alas!
• hāhā: Ud्गāra (Interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hāhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्गार/विस्मय) — exclamation

• kaṣṭam: terrible!
• kaṣṭam: Bhāva (Exclamatory predicative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; used as exclamatory predicate ‘how terrible!’

• atīva: exceedingly
• atīva: Viśeṣaṇa (Degree adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — very/exceedingly

• bhoḥ: O! (hey)
• bhoḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhoḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बोधन-निपात) — vocative particle

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark ascetic—bald, nude, adorned with peacock feathers—steps into the ritual ground, raising his hands in lament, face contorted with grief as he addresses Barbarīka.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣapaṇaka (ascetic)
• Barbarīka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External marks of austerity introduce a dharma-questioning voice, preparing for ethical reflection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue unfolds in the same sacred locality where Barbarīka stands guard (regional māhātmya context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A “mahā-vrata” is mentioned as an identity marker, but no specific observance is detailed in this verse.