Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

राक्षसानां महाराज जातिः क्रूरतमा मता । दृष्ट्वा मानुषमायांतं मांसस्येच्छा प्रजायते

Transliteration

rākṣasānāṃ mahārāja jātiḥ krūratamā matā | dṛṣṭvā mānuṣamāyāṃtaṃ māṃsasyecchā prajāyate

Translation

Ô grand roi, la race des Rākṣasas est tenue pour la plus cruelle. À la vue d’un homme qui s’approche, en eux s’éveille le désir de chair.

Word by Word

• राक्षसानाम्: of the rākṣasas
• राक्षसानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् राजा)

• जातिः: nature/species
• जातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्रूरतमा: most cruel
• क्रूरतमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• मता: is considered
• मता: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) / मत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (जातिः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• मानुषम्: a human
• मानुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आयान्तम्: coming/approaching
• आयान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-या (धातु) / आयान्त् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मानुषम्)

• मांसस्य: of flesh
• मांसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इच्छा: desire
• इच्छा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-जा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (context suggests a narrative speaker within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrtha-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu–Rāmeśvara route (as a threatened pilgrimage corridor)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (royal addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa warns a king: rākṣasas, by nature cruel, feel a surge of flesh-desire when they see humans approaching the sacred route.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa
• Mānuṣa (human)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that uncontrolled cruelty and appetite are adharma, encouraging vigilance and reliance on dharmic protection while approaching sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Setu-madhya/Rāmeśvara setting within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna/dāna/japa) is stated in this verse; it is descriptive of rākṣasa nature.