Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

इति निश्चित्य मनसा श्मशानं सहसा ययौ । विक्रीणानो महामांसं मंत्रैराहूय राक्षसान्

Transliteration

iti niścitya manasā śmaśānaṃ sahasā yayau | vikrīṇāno mahāmāṃsaṃ maṃtrairāhūya rākṣasān

Translation

So im Geist entschlossen, eilte er sogleich zum Verbrennungsplatz. Großes Fleisch zum Verkauf anbietend, rief er die Rākṣasas mit Mantras herbei.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• निश्चित्य: having decided
• निश्चित्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni√ci (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• श्मशानम्: to the cremation-ground
• श्मशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śmaśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly, hastily
• सहसा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय; सहस्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विक्रीणानः: selling
• विक्रीणानः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√krī (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (active participle)

• महामांसम्: great flesh, large meat
• महामांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• मंत्रैः: with mantras
• मंत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• आहूय: having summoned
• आहूय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√hū (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• राक्षसान्: the demons (rakshasas)
• राक्षसान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A determined brāhmaṇa strides into a moonlit cremation-ground, holding ritual implements; he calls rākṣasas by mantra while theatrically offering ‘great meat’ for sale, with pyres, skulls, and circling carrion birds in the background.

Characters & Entities

• śmaśāna
• rākṣasa
• maṃtra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows purposeful movement toward tamasic environments for selfish ends; Purāṇic teaching contrasts this with pilgrimage undertaken for purification and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa’s wider sacred geography frames the chapter, but this verse focuses on a cremation-ground setting rather than tīrtha glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-summoning is mentioned as part of the story, not as a dhārmic prescription.