Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सुग्रीवेण च भार्यार्थं राज्यार्थं राक्षसेन च । रावणावरजेन त्वं सेवितो ऽसि रघूद्वह

Transliteration

sugrīveṇa ca bhāryārthaṃ rājyārthaṃ rākṣasena ca | rāvaṇāvarajena tvaṃ sevito 'si raghūdvaha

Translation

«Ô le meilleur des Raghu, Sugrīva te sert pour retrouver son épouse, et le rākṣasa Vibhīṣaṇa, le cadet de Rāvaṇa, te sert pour un royaume.»

Word by Word

• सुग्रीवेण: by Sugrīva
• सुग्रीवेण: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भार्यार्थम्: for (the sake of) a wife
• भार्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भार्या-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; भार्या + अर्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial: 'for the sake of wife')

• राज्यार्थम्: for (the sake of) a kingdom
• राज्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: राज्य-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; राज्य + अर्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (for the sake of kingdom)

• राक्षसेन: by a demon
• राक्षसेन: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• रावणावरजेन: by Rāvaṇa's younger brother
• रावणावरजेन: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण-अवरज (प्रातिपदिक; रावण + अवरज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Rāvaṇa's younger brother)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सेवितः: served
• सेवितः: Karta (Predicate in passive/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• रघूद्वह: O best of the Raghus
• रघूद्वह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु-उद्वह (प्रातिपदिक; रघु + उद्वह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bearer of the Raghu line)

Speaker

Hanūmān

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker points outward as if listing examples: Sugrīva seeking his wife/kingdom; Vibhīṣaṇa seeking sovereignty; Rāma stands listening, composed yet stern.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sugrīva
• Rāvaṇa
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It contrasts self-interested service with selfless devotion, urging recognition of pure bhakti beyond worldly motives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu–Rāmeśvaram, where these Ramāyaṇa-linked conversations are preserved as tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is ethical reflection on motives behind service.