Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तं विनम्राकृतिं दृष्ट्वा भृत्यतां कर्तुमागतम् । चक्रे महानसाध्यक्षमज्ञानात्स महीपतिः

Transliteration

taṃ vinamrākṛtiṃ dṛṣṭvā bhṛtyatāṃ kartumāgatam | cakre mahānasādhyakṣamajñānātsa mahīpatiḥ

Translation

Als der König ihn in demütiger Gestalt sah, wie er kam, um Dienst zu tun, setzte er ihn—aus Unwissenheit—zum Vorsteher der königlichen Großküche ein.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vinamrākṛtim: of humble appearance
• vinamrākṛtim: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vinamra + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (vinamrā ākṛtiḥ) विशेषण

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त; क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive)

• bhṛtyatām: servitude; the status of a servant
• bhṛtyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛtyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state of being a servant)

• kartum: to make; to do
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kartum (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive)

• āgatam: come; arrived
• āgatam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + √gam (धातु) → āgata (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'tam' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• cakre: made; appointed
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• mahānasādhyakṣam: superintendent of the kitchen
• mahānasādhyakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahānasa + adhyakṣa (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: 'of the kitchen' + 'superintendent')

• ajñānāt: out of ignorance
• ajñānāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mahīpatiḥ: the king; lord of the earth
• mahīpatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + pati (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: 'of earth' + 'lord')

Speaker

Narrator (not specified in the excerpt; likely the Purāṇic narrator within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, serene and trusting, gestures to appoint the humble newcomer as kitchen superintendent; the newcomer bows deeply while his eyes betray hidden malice; kitchen vessels gleam in the background.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpati (king)
• rākṣasa (implied, in disguise)
• mahānasa (royal kitchen)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misplaced trust born of ignorance can open the door to harm; dharma requires careful discernment in appointing and empowering others.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.