Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

बकश्च यज्ञकोपश्च ब्रह्मघ्नो वेददूषकः । महामखघ्नो जंभश्च राहुर्वक्रशिरास्तथा

Transliteration

bakaśca yajñakopaśca brahmaghno vedadūṣakaḥ | mahāmakhaghno jaṃbhaśca rāhurvakraśirāstathā

Translation

Baka und Yajñakopa, Brahmaghna, der Schänder der Veden; Mahāmakhaghna und Jambha, Rāhu sowie Vakraśiras—

Word by Word

• बकः: Baka
• बकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular (proper name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• यज्ञ-कोपः: Yajñakopa
• यज्ञ-कोपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular (proper name/epithet)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• ब्रह्म-घ्नः: Brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्म-घ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular (one who kills Brahmins)

• वेद-दूषकः: defiler of the Vedas
• वेद-दूषकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + दूषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महा-मख-घ्नः: slayer of great sacrifices
• महा-मख-घ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मख (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जम्भः: Jambha
• जम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular (proper name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• राहुः: Rāhu
• राहुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular (proper name)

• वक्र-शिराः: the crooked-headed one
• वक्र-शिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular (bahuvrīhi: ‘one whose head is crooked’)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक अव्यय — ‘thus/also’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A roll-call of fearsome daityas—Baka, Yajñakopa, Brahmaghna, Vedadūṣaka, Mahāmakhaghna, Jambha, Rāhu, Vakraśiras—appearing as a dark host with distinct monstrous attributes.

Characters & Entities

• Baka
• Yajñakopa
• Brahmaghna
• Vedadūṣaka
• Mahāmakhaghna
• Jambha
• Rāhu
• Vakraśiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The enemies of yajña, Veda, and Brahminical sanctity symbolize forces that oppose dharma; naming them frames adharma as identifiable and confrontable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, indirectly—these hostile figures appear in the Dvārakā Māhātmya context of defending sacred order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; however, the verse highlights the sanctity of yajña and the Vedas by contrasting them with their violators.