Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

प्रसह्यकन्याहरणाद्राक्षसो निंदितः सताम् । छलेन कन्याहरणात्पैशाचो गर्हितोऽष्टमः

Transliteration

prasahyakanyāharaṇādrākṣaso niṃditaḥ satām | chalena kanyāharaṇātpaiśāco garhito'ṣṭamaḥ

Translation

زواجُ الرّاكْشَسا (Rākṣasa) الناشئُ عن اختطافِ العذراء قسرًا مُدانٌ عند أهلِ الصلاح. وأمّا زواجُ البايشاتشا (Paiśāca) —وهو الثامن— الناتجُ عن اختطافِها بالخديعة، فهو كذلك مُستنكرٌ ومذموم.

Word by Word

• प्रसह्य: forcibly
• प्रसह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र- सह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive), ‘having forced/forcibly’ (adverbial)

• कन्याहरणात्: from abducting a maiden
• कन्याहरणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + हरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘abduction of a maiden’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राक्षसः: the Rākṣasa (marriage)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विवाह-प्रकार-नाम

• निन्दितः: condemned
• निन्दितः: Kriyā (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निन्द् (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• छलेन: by deceit/trickery
• छलेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कन्याहरणात्: from abducting a maiden
• कन्याहरणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + हरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• पैशाचः: the Paiśāca (marriage)
• पैशाचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विवाह-प्रकार-नाम

• गर्हितः: reviled/censured
• गर्हितः: Kriyā (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्ह् (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• अष्टमः: the eighth
• अष्टमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier to पैशाचः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (क्रमसंख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमसंख्या-विशेषण (ordinal)

Speaker

Skanda (continuing from 38.1)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral warning scene: a maiden being seized by force (Rākṣasa) contrasted with a deceitful abduction (Paiśāca) in shadowed setting; virtuous elders condemn; dharma stands as protective presence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma rejects unions founded on violence or deception; righteousness safeguards dignity, consent, and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is ethical classification within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it explicitly condemns forced and deceitful forms of marriage.