Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

क्वचिच्च भक्ष्यते घोरै राक्षसैः कृष्यतेऽस्यते । दह्यमानोतिघोरेण सैकतेन च नीयते

Transliteration

kvacicca bhakṣyate ghorai rākṣasaiḥ kṛṣyate'syate | dahyamānotighoreṇa saikatena ca nīyate

Translation

কোথাও ভয়ংকর রাক্ষসেরা তাকে ভক্ষণ করে; কোথাও টেনে ও আঘাত করে; আর অতি দাহক বালুর ওপর জ্বলতে জ্বলতে তাকে এগিয়ে তাড়ানো হয়।

Word by Word

• क्वचित्: somewhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भक्ष्यते: is eaten/devoured
• भक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• घोरैः: terrible
• घोरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• राक्षसैः: by demons
• राक्षसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कृष्यते: is dragged
• कृष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अस्यते: is thrown/struck down
• अस्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु, क्षेपणे)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दह्यमानः: being burned
• दह्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (शानच्/मान), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अतिघोरेण: by extremely terrible (means)
• अतिघोरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग (सन्दर्भे करणवाचक), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासः (अति-घोर)

• सैकतेन: by sand (hot sand)
• सैकतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैकत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• नीयते: is led/taken
• नीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sinner is seized, struck, and dragged across blistering sands while dreadful rākṣasas tear and devour.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin leads to grievous suffering; the Purana uses stark imagery to steer one toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is glorified; the focus remains on the punitive journey under Yama’s order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied remedy is righteous living, repentance, and devotion to avert such outcomes.