Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

छलेन कन्याहरणात्पैशाचो गर्हितोऽष्टमः । प्रायः क्षत्रविशोरुक्ता गांधर्वासुरराक्षसाः

Transliteration

chalena kanyāharaṇātpaiśāco garhito'ṣṭamaḥ | prāyaḥ kṣatraviśoruktā gāṃdharvāsurarākṣasāḥ

Translation

Die achte, Paiśāca genannt, wird getadelt und als verwerflich angesehen, da sie aus der trügerischen Entführung eines Mädchens entsteht. Ferner heißt es, dass die Formen Gāndharva, Āsura und Rākṣasa meist mit Kṣatriyas und Vaiśyas verbunden sind.

Word by Word

• chalena: by deceit
• chalena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन

• kanyā-haraṇāt: from abducting a maiden
• kanyā-haraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + haraṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √hṛ धातु)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘कन्यायाः हरणम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• paiśācaḥ: the Paiśāca (form of marriage)
• paiśācaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paiśāca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• garhitaḥ: is censured
• garhitaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √garh (गर्ह्, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘गर्हितः’

• aṣṭamaḥ: the eighth
• aṣṭamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम्

• prāyaḥ: mostly
• prāyaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-विशेषण (adverb) ‘प्रायः’ (=mostly)

• kṣatra-viśoḥ: of the Kṣatriya and the Vaiśya
• kṣatra-viśoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatra (प्रातिपदिक) + viś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्व) ‘क्षत्रं च विश् च’; षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), द्विवचन

• uktāḥ: are said (to be)
• uktāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मणि ‘उक्ताः’

• gāndharva-asura-rākṣasāḥ: Gāndharva, Āsura, and Rākṣasa (forms)
• gāndharva-asura-rākṣasāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāndharva (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक) + rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्व) त्रयाणां समाहारः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speaker

Parāśara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a shadowed figure luring a maiden (Paiśāca) contrasted with a bright, orderly wedding scene in the background; marginal notes/figures representing Kṣatriya and Vaiśya households to indicate sociological association.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deceit and exploitation in marriage are strongly condemned; dharma evaluates social customs by ethical standards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named; the focus is social and moral dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition/condemnation of Paiśāca (deceitful taking) and a note on customary association of certain forms with varṇas.