Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अङ्कूरो राक्षसश्रेष्ठः कुम्भस्य तनयो महान् । विभीषणं च गुणवद्दृष्ट्वैवं राक्षसोत्तमः

Transliteration

aṅkūro rākṣasaśreṣṭhaḥ kumbhasya tanayo mahān | vibhīṣaṇaṃ ca guṇavaddṛṣṭvaivaṃ rākṣasottamaḥ

Translation

Aṅkūra, éminent Rākṣasa, illustre fils de Kumbha—voyant Vibhīṣaṇa doté de vertus—devint songeur, ô le plus noble des Rākṣasas.

Word by Word

• अङ्कूरः: Aṅkūra (name)
• अङ्कूरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्कूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राक्षसश्रेष्ठः: the best of the rākṣasas
• राक्षसश्रेष्ठः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: राक्षसानां श्रेष्ठः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• कुम्भस्य: of Kumbha
• कुम्भस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तनयः: son
• तनयः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विभीषणम्: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• गुणवत्: virtuous/possessing qualities
• गुणवत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गुणवत्-शब्द (possessive adjective)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having seen’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• राक्षसोत्तमः: the best of the rākṣasas
• राक्षसोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: राक्षसानां उत्तमः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration within a Māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Puruṣottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aṅkūra, youthful Rakṣasa prince, beholds Vibhīṣaṇa—calm, composed, and radiant with dharma—triggering introspection; contrast of fierce lineage and serene virtue.

Characters & Entities

• Aṅkūra
• Kumbha
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sight of virtue (guṇa) in another can awaken self-examination and turn even the fierce toward Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; the surrounding Revā Khaṇḍa context is tied to the Narmadā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.