Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

भक्ष्यार्थं तं मुनिं सोऽयं राक्षसोभिगमिष्यति । ततो गालवरक्षार्थं प्रेरितं चक्रमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

bhakṣyārthaṃ taṃ muniṃ so'yaṃ rākṣasobhigamiṣyati | tato gālavarakṣārthaṃ preritaṃ cakramuttamam

Translation

Afin de dévorer ce sage, ce rākṣasa s’approchera de lui. Alors, pour la protection de Gālava, le Disque suprême sera mis en mouvement.

Word by Word

• bhakṣya-artham: for eating (as food)
• bhakṣya-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् ‘for the purpose of eating’

• tam: that (him)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• munim: sage
• munim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• rākṣasaḥ: demon
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• abhigamiṣyati: will approach
• abhigamiṣyati: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi- (उपसर्ग) + gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक ‘then/from that’

• gālava-rakṣā-artham: for Gālava’s protection
• gālava-rakṣā-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gālava (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; ‘for the purpose of protecting Gālava’

• preritam: sent; impelled
• preritam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra- (उपसर्ग) + īr (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र चक्रम् इति विशेष्येण सह—‘sent/impelled’

• cakram: discus (chakra)
• cakram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (कर्मणि/कथने)

• uttamam: excellent; supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; चक्रम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: surāṅganāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rākṣasa lunges toward the meditating Gālava; from the sky, a radiant spinning discus descends, forming a protective arc around the sage; the tīrtha waters shimmer with reflected light.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Rākṣasa
• Cakra (Viṣṇu’s discus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine protects dharma by safeguarding saints; hostile forces are checked when they threaten a realized devotee.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha is implied through the discus (cakra) motif and the preceding verse’s location reference.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates divine protection through the cakra.