Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

घोरां वेतालतां त्यक्त्वा दिव्यतां स यदाप्तवान्

Transliteration

ghorāṃ vetālatāṃ tyaktvā divyatāṃ sa yadāptavān

Translation

Nachdem er den schrecklichen Zustand des Vetāla abgelegt hatte, erlangte er göttliche Erhöhung.

Word by Word

• घोराम्: terrible
• घोराम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वेतालताम्’ इति विशेषण

• वेतालताम्: vetāla-hood
• वेतालताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतालतā (प्रातिपदिक; वेताल + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु) + क्त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive) ‘having abandoned’

• दिव्यताम्: divinity
• दिव्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्यतā (प्रातिपदिक; दिव्य + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (when)

• आप्तवान्: obtained
• आप्तवान्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √आप् (धातु) + क्तवतु (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle/possessive past) ‘having obtained’

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (closing summary within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vetāla-varadā Tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure sheds a dark, dreadful vetāla-shadow like a discarded cloak and stands radiant, divine, and serene beside the sacred waters; the atmosphere is cleansed and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Vetāla
• Divyatā (divine state)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the darkest condition can be reversed through dhārmic refuge—tīrtha-grace elevates the fallen to divine status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vetāla-varadā Tīrtha celebrated in this Adhyāya as the remover of vetālatva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicitly here; it summarizes the fruit of the earlier tīrtha contact and snāna.