Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रस्य यज्ञे तु येन लीलानृदेहिना । चतुर्दशसहस्राणि घातिता राक्षसा वलात्

Transliteration

viśvāmitrasya yajñe tu yena līlānṛdehinā | caturdaśasahasrāṇi ghātitā rākṣasā valāt

Translation

Et lors du yajña de Viśvāmitra, par celui qui prit un corps humain comme simple jeu divin, quatorze mille rākṣasas furent abattus avec vigueur.

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रस्य: of Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लीलानृदेहिना: by the one who assumed a human body playfully
• लीलानृदेहिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला + नृ + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लीलया नृदेहः यस्य/लीलया नृदेहधारी); तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• चतुर्दशसहस्राणि: fourteen thousand
• चतुर्दशसहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दश + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• घातिताः: were slain
• घातिताः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + घातित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• राक्षसाः: demons
• राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वलात्: by force
• वलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अव्ययीभावार्थे “बलात्” = “by force/forcibly”

Speaker

Narrator within Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya (contextual; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing yajña-vedi with priests chanting; Rāma stands poised, arrows flying; a mass of rākṣasas routed and falling back into the forest shadows; Viśvāmitra’s calm authority presides.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Yajña
• Rākṣasas
• Rāma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Safeguarding sacrifice and sacred rites is a core duty of dharma; divine power may appear in human form to restore ritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s sanctity is reinforced through remembered acts that protect yajña and dharma in sacred regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references the yajña context but does not prescribe a specific rite; it highlights protection of ongoing sacrifice.