Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तेन स्वपितृभिः शप्तो वेतालत्वमगादयम् । सोपि चास्य धनुष्कोटेरवलोकनमात्रतः

Transliteration

tena svapitṛbhiḥ śapto vetālatvamagādayam | sopi cāsya dhanuṣkoṭeravalokanamātrataḥ

Translation

Ainsi, maudit par ses propres ancêtres, cet homme tomba dans l’état de vetāla ; et pourtant, lui aussi, par le seul fait de regarder l’extrémité de cet arc, commença à être délivré de cette condition.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह), एकवचनम्; pronoun ‘that’ in Instrumental singular

• स्वपितृभिः: by his own forefathers
• स्वपितृभिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (उपसर्ग/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘one’s own fathers’); instrumental plural

• शप्तः: (was) cursed
• शप्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु) → शप्त (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; past passive participle ‘cursed’

• वेतालत्वम्: the state of being a vetāla
• वेतालत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; abstract noun in accusative

• अगात्: went/attained
• अगात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (अद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; parasmaipada

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; demonstrative pronoun

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; pronoun

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him/of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• धनुष्कोटेः: of the tip of the bow
• धनुष्कोटेः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (‘bow-tip’); genitive singular

• अवलोकनमात्रतः: merely by (his) looking
• अवलोकनमात्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवलोकन (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (ablatival adverb) ‘from/merely by’; तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘mere looking’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Brāhma Khaṇḍa narrative style within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuskoṭi/Setu-darśana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man afflicted as a vetāla stands at the wind-swept seashore near Dhanuskoṭi; as he gazes upon the sacred ‘bow-tip’ landmark, his dark, gaunt form begins to brighten and loosen from the curse, while unseen pitṛs watch from the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Vetāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of one’s ancestors can lead to severe downfall, while even a small contact with sacred merit can begin one’s upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Setukhaṇḍa, associated with Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setu-kṣetra) and its purifying sacred power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indirectly, it supports Pitṛ-upāsanā and śrāddha as remedies for ancestral displeasure and spiritual affliction.