Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मनुष्यैरपि निंद्यं तद्वेतालत्वं प्रयास्यसि । मांसानि शोणितं चैव सर्वदा भक्षयिष्यसि

Transliteration

manuṣyairapi niṃdyaṃ tadvetālatvaṃ prayāsyasi | māṃsāni śoṇitaṃ caiva sarvadā bhakṣayiṣyasi

Translation

Tu tomberas dans l’état de Vetāla, méprisé même des hommes ; et à jamais tu te nourriras de chair et de sang.

Word by Word

• मनुष्यैः: by men / by humans
• मनुष्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/also) — particle ‘also/even’

• निन्द्यम्: blameworthy; to be condemned
• निन्द्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निन्द्य (कृदन्त; √निन्द् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भविष्यत्/विधेय-योग्य (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ) — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular; ‘to be blamed’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular; demonstrative ‘that’

• वेतालत्वम्: state of being a vetāla
• वेतालत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• प्रयास्यसि: you will attain/go to
• प्रयास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 2nd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मांसानि: fleshes; meats
• मांसानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• शोणितम्: blood
• शोणितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात — conjunction ‘and’

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात — emphatic particle ‘indeed/just’

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — adverb of time ‘always’

• भक्षयिष्यसि: you will eat/devour
• भक्षयिष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 2nd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Gālava (continuing the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern curse pronounced: the condemned is shown slipping into a vetāla-like form—gaunt body, wild hair—amid a cremation-ground aura, with imagery of flesh and blood as the dreadful sustenance.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Vetāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruel and unrighteous conduct degrades consciousness and destiny, leading to states marked by impurity and social-spiritual revulsion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra remains the contextual pilgrimage frame, though the verse itself is a moral warning within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the nature of the cursed existence rather than prescribing a remedy.