Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वदा मृगयासक्तः कृपणो निर्घृणो बली । सर्वमांसाशनः क्रूरः सर्ववर्णांगनावृतः

Transliteration

sarvadā mṛgayāsaktaḥ kṛpaṇo nirghṛṇo balī | sarvamāṃsāśanaḥ krūraḥ sarvavarṇāṃganāvṛtaḥ

Translation

Toujours adonné à la chasse, il était avare, sans pitié et puissant ; mangeur de toutes sortes de viandes, cruel, entouré de femmes de toutes conditions.

Word by Word

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मृगयासक्तः: addicted to hunting
• मृगयासक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृगया (प्रातिपदिक) + सक्त (कृदन्त; √सञ्ज्/सज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘attached to hunting’

• कृपणः: miserly/wretched
• कृपणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्घृणः: merciless
• निर्घृणः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्घृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बली: strong
• बली: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; i-stem adjective

• सर्वमांसाशनः: eater of all meat
• सर्वमांसाशनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + अशन्/अश् (धातु) → आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘eater of all kinds of meat’

• क्रूरः: cruel
• क्रूरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्ववर्णांगनावृतः: surrounded by women of all classes
• सर्ववर्णांगनावृतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (कृदन्त; √वृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘surrounded by women of all varṇas’

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king in a forest hunt: slain animals, tense dogs, armed retinue; the king’s face hard and proud, surrounded by revelry and sensual excess—setting a dark moral tone.

Characters & Entities

• Vimardana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse diagnoses bondage: cruelty, greed, and sense-indulgence are shown as spiritual decline, preparing for the Purāṇic theme of redemption through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the emphasis is on character and conduct prior to the devotional turn.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it functions as a moral contrast for the coming praise of Śiva-pūjā.