Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

राक्षस उवाच । प्रसीद मे महायोगिन्प्रसीद करुणानिधे । प्रसीद भवतप्तानामानंदामृवारिधे

Transliteration

rākṣasa uvāca | prasīda me mahāyoginprasīda karuṇānidhe | prasīda bhavataptānāmānaṃdāmṛvāridhe

Translation

Le Rākṣasa dit : «Sois-moi favorable, ô grand yogin ; sois favorable, ô trésor de compassion. Sois favorable, ô océan de béatitude semblable à l’amṛta pour ceux que brûle la souffrance du monde».

Word by Word

• राक्षसः: the rākṣasa (demon)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Perfect; 3rd person; Singular; Parasmaipada)

• प्रसीद: be gracious
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sad (सद्) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative; 2nd person; Singular; Parasmaipada)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (Genitive/Dative; Singular); एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम (enclitic pronoun)

• महायोगिन्: O great yogin
• महायोगिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative) एकवचन (Masculine; Vocative; Singular); कर्मधारयः ‘महान् योगी’

• प्रसीद: be gracious
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sad (सद्) (धातु)
• Form: लोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative; 2nd person; Singular)

• करुणानिधे: O treasure of compassion
• करुणानिधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Masculine; Vocative; Singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘करुणायाः निधिः’

• प्रसीद: be gracious
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sad (सद्) (धातु)
• Form: लोट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative; 2nd person; Singular)

• भवतप्तानाम्: of those tormented by worldly existence
• भवतप्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhava + tapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन (Masculine; Genitive; Plural); तत्पुरुषः ‘भवेन तप्ताः’ (scorched by worldly existence)

• आनन्द: bliss
• आनन्द: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• अमृत: nectar
• अमृत: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• वारि: water
• वारि: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem in compound)

• निधे: O treasure
• निधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Masculine; Vocative; Singular)

• आनन्दामृतवारिधे: O ocean/treasure of the nectar-water of bliss
• आनन्दामृतवारिधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda + amṛta + vāri + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Masculine; Vocative; Singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘आनन्दामृतस्य वारिणः निधिः’ (treasure/ocean of the water of nectar of bliss)

Speaker

Brahmarākṣasa (Rākṣasa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāda-tīrtha of the mahāyogin (guru-pāda)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rākṣasa, now softened, kneels with folded hands before a serene mahāyogin; the yogin’s face is compassionate, an ‘ocean of nectar’ aura surrounds him; the rākṣasa’s posture shows total surrender.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāyogin (Śiva-yogin)
• Bhava (saṁsāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Redemption begins with humility: sincere supplication to the compassionate holy turns terror into devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse is a devotional appeal highlighting the Mahātmya of the saintly yogin’s compassion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional act is modeled: prayer for grace (prasāda) and surrender; no formal ritual details are given.