Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

रुरुदुः शोकसंविग्ना दुःखसागरमध्यगाः प्र । पश्यंतीषु तास्वेव दुर्दमो राक्षसोऽभवत्

Transliteration

ruruduḥ śokasaṃvignā duḥkhasāgaramadhyagāḥ pra | paśyaṃtīṣu tāsveva durdamo rākṣaso'bhavat

Translation

Sie weinten, vom Kummer erschüttert, als wären sie mitten in einem Meer des Leids versunken. Während sie noch hinsahen, wurde Durdama zu einem Rākṣasa.

Word by Word

• रुरुदुः: they wept
• रुरुदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लिट् (Perfect); पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd); वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural); धातुः—रुद्; प्रयोगः—कर्तरि

• शोक-संविग्नाः: distressed with grief
• शोक-संविग्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + संविग्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √विज्/विग् with सम्)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘agitated by grief’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st); बहुवचन (Plural)

• दुःख-सागर-मध्य-गाः: as if in the midst of an ocean of sorrow
• दुःख-सागर-मध्य-गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (धातु) → ग (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘gone/being in’)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (locative-determinative sense: ‘gone into the middle of the ocean of sorrow’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st); बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्र: forth / intensely
• प्र: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (particle; intensifier/forward)

• पश्यन्तीषु: while (they) were seeing
• पश्यन्तीषु: Adhikarana (Locative circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); सप्तमी (Locative, 7th); बहुवचन (Plural)

• तासु: among them / in them
• तासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); सप्तमी (Locative, 7th); बहुवचन (Plural)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (emphasis/restriction)

• दुर्दमः: Durdama
• दुर्दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st); एकवचन (Singular)

• राक्षसः: a demon (rākṣasa)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Predicate/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st); एकवचन (Singular) (predicate nominative)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लङ् (Imperfect/Past); पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd); वचनम्—एकवचन (Singular); धातुः—भू; प्रयोगः—कर्तरि

Speaker

Śrī Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The women cry in despair, their bodies bent and hands raised in lament; before their eyes Durdama’s form distorts—limbs enlarge, features harden—crossing into rākṣasa nature in a single dreadful instant.

Characters & Entities

• Durdama
• Rāmāḥ
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Curses and karmic forces can manifest suddenly and painfully; the verse underscores impermanence and the need for spiritual steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it is a dramatic moment within the Setukhaṇḍa storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.