Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

वेताला राक्षसप्राया बलाद्गृह्णन्ति योषितः । तस्मात्त्वं मानुषो भूत्वा वेतालत्वमवाप्स्यसि

Transliteration

vetālā rākṣasaprāyā balādgṛhṇanti yoṣitaḥ | tasmāttvaṃ mānuṣo bhūtvā vetālatvamavāpsyasi

Translation

Les Vetālas, pareils aux Rākṣasas, s’emparent des femmes par la force. Ainsi, toi, bien que né homme, tu atteindras l’état de Vetāla.

Word by Word

• वेतालाः: vetālas
• वेतालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• राक्षसप्रायाः: mostly rākṣasa-like
• राक्षसप्रायाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षस + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative Plural; ‘mostly like rākṣasas’

• बलात्: by force
• बलात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative (5th), Singular; adverbial use ‘by force’

• गृह्णन्ति: they seize
• गृह्णन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• योषितः: women
• योषितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — ‘therefore/from that reason’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Pronoun, Nominative Singular ‘you’

• मानुषः: a human
• मानुषः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative Singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव; absolutive) — Gerund/absolutive ‘having become’

• वेतालत्वम्: vetāla-hood
• वेतालत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative Singular

• अवाप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• अवाप्स्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 2nd person, Singular

Speaker

Gālava (continuing the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: vetālas portrayed as rākṣasa-like beings overpowering women, while a curse pronouncement frames the moral consequence—human birth leading to vetāla-hood due to such acts.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Vetāla
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Forcible violation of dharma rebounds as a fitting destiny—one becomes what one chooses through action and intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa’s Setu-kṣetra framework contextualizes the story, presenting the sacred land as a stage for dharmic retribution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse defines the curse by linking wrongdoing to a corresponding nature of rebirth.