Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अवध्यः सर्वदेवानां सोऽभवद्ब्रह्मणो वरात् । शवभक्षणनामा तु तस्यासीन्मंत्रिसत्तमः

Transliteration

avadhyaḥ sarvadevānāṃ so'bhavadbrahmaṇo varāt | śavabhakṣaṇanāmā tu tasyāsīnmaṃtrisattamaḥ

Translation

Par le don de Brahmā, il devint invulnérable à tous les dieux. Et il avait pour ministre éminent un certain Śavabhakṣaṇa.

Word by Word

• अवध्यः: invulnerable / not to be slain
• अवध्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययान्त (वध्य-निषेध)

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वे देवाः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वरात्: from a boon
• वरात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• शवभक्षणनामा: named ‘Śavabhakṣaṇa’
• शवभक्षणनामा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शव + भक्षण + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शवभक्षणं नाम यस्य)

• तु: but/and
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मंत्रिसत्तमः: the best of ministers
• मंत्रिसत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंत्रिन् + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मंत्रिणां सत्तमः)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rākṣasa king receiving or bearing the aura of Brahmā’s boon—an invulnerability halo—while beside him stands the minister Śavabhakṣaṇa, grim and predatory, signaling the court’s dark counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kapālābharaṇa
• Śavabhakṣaṇa (minister)
• devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power gained through boons can enable adharma; Purāṇic stories often contrast such power with later divine correction and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly in this verse; it supports the Setu/Sītā-saras māhātmya by building the backstory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; narrative detail about the rākṣasa’s boon and minister.