Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

आखण्डलपुरीं रम्यां प्रययावमरावतीम् । राक्षसी सापि शापेन कुम्भजस्य महौजसः

Transliteration

ākhaṇḍalapurīṃ ramyāṃ prayayāvamarāvatīm | rākṣasī sāpi śāpena kumbhajasya mahaujasaḥ

Translation

Elle se rendit dans la ravissante cité d’Ākhaṇḍala, Amarāvatī. Mais elle aussi était devenue une rākṣasī sous l’effet de la malédiction du puissant Kumbhaja (Agastya).

Word by Word

• आखण्डलपुरीम्: Ākhaṇḍala’s city (Indra’s city)
• आखण्डलपुरीम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākhaṇḍala-purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; समास: आखण्डलस्य पुरी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• रम्याम्: beautiful
• रम्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; विशेषण

• प्रययौ: went
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• अमरावतीम्: Amarāvatī
• अमरावतीम्: Karma (Destination/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amarāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राक्षसी: the demoness
• राक्षसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात — Particle ‘also/even’

• शापेन: by the curse
• शापेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कुम्भजस्य: of Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular; समास: कुम्भ + ज (तत्पुरुष: ‘born from a pot’, i.e., Agastya)

• महौजसः: of the very powerful (sage)
• महौजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-ojas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular; विशेषण; समास: महत् + ओजस् (कर्मधारय: ‘great in power’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta in Setu Khaṇḍa frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rambhā departs toward Amarāvatī; juxtaposed is the revelation that another figure (or the same ‘she’ in a continuing thread) bears a rākṣasī condition due to Agastya’s curse—hinting at lingering karmic knots despite celestial arrival.

Characters & Entities

• Ākhaṇḍala (Indra)
• Amarāvatī
• Kumbhaja (Agastya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial beings can fall through a sage’s curse; dharma teaches humility and the need for purification and atonement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapitīrtha remains the implied locus, as the surrounding verses describe release from such cursed states through its waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription in this verse; it introduces the cause (śāpa) behind the afflicted condition.