Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

रामेण निहतो युद्धे बहुवानरभक्षकः । अमावास्यादिने शोकाऽभ्यवहारो बभूव ह

Transliteration

rāmeṇa nihato yuddhe bahuvānarabhakṣakaḥ | amāvāsyādine śokā'bhyavahāro babhūva ha

Translation

In battle Rāma slew that devourer of many vānara. On the day of amāvasyā, there was eating only out of grief—truly a meal marked by sorrow.

Word by Word

• रामेण: by Rama
• रामेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• निहतः: was slain
• निहतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• बहुवानरभक्षकः: devourer of many monkeys
• बहुवानरभक्षकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वानर (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास: ‘बहूनां वानराणां भक्षकः’

• अमावास्या: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्या: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular (तिथिः)

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• शोक: grief
• शोक: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; (समासपूर्वपद)

• अभ्यवहारः: eating/consumption
• अभ्यवहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• बभूव: became/occurred
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Active voice

• ह: indeed
• ह: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पदपूरण/निपात — Indeclinable particle (emphatic/filler)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma stands after slaying the monkey-devourer; the battlefield quiets. On amāvāsyā, Laṅkā’s rākṣasas eat in grief—faces downcast, lamps dim, moonless sky heavy.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Vānara (monkey troops)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty that feeds on the righteous is cut down; grief follows adharma’s collapse, showing the karmic shadow even amid worldly feasting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a war-episode detail within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; amāvāsyā is referenced as a date marker, not as an injunction here.