Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । कपालाभरणोनाम राक्षसोऽभूत्पुरा द्विजाः

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | kapālābharaṇonāma rākṣaso'bhūtpurā dvijāḥ

Translation

Śrī Sūta dit : Ô brāhmaṇas, jadis il y eut un rākṣasa nommé Kapālābharaṇa.

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: Śrī Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् सूतः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कपालाभरणः: (one) adorned with skulls
• कपालाभरणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कपालानाम् आभरणम् यस्य)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Visheshana-marker (Appositive particle/संज्ञा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (name-indicator particle)

• राक्षसः: a demon
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभूत्: was/appeared
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (contextually vocative; form = प्रथमा बहुवचन), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvāḥ (brāhmaṇas/sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta begins the tale: a shadowed, formidable rākṣasa figure is introduced by name—Kapālābharaṇa—hinting at skull-ornamentation and ominous power.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kapālābharaṇa (rākṣasa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s glory is framed through a moral narrative, introducing agents and causes that lead to later purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Setu/Sītā-saras context; this verse introduces the story that will culminate in tīrtha-based purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative setup.