Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

वृषादर्भिरुवाच । किमिदं गर्हितं कर्म क्रियते मुनिसत्तमाः । राक्षसानामयं धर्मो महामांसस्य भक्षणम्

Transliteration

vṛṣādarbhiruvāca | kimidaṃ garhitaṃ karma kriyate munisattamāḥ | rākṣasānāmayaṃ dharmo mahāmāṃsasya bhakṣaṇam

Translation

Vṛṣādarbhī dit : «Quel est donc cet acte blâmable que vous accomplissez, ô meilleurs des sages ? Manger de la chair grossière est la règle même des Rākṣasas.»

Word by Word

• vṛṣādarbhīḥ: Vṛṣādarbhī
• vṛṣādarbhīḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣādarbhī (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Interrogative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Apposition to kim/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• garhitaṃ: blameworthy
• garhitaṃ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garhita (प्रातिपदिक; kta from garh)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• karma: deed/act
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kriyate: is done
• kriyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is being done)

• muni-sattamāḥ: O best sages
• muni-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास (best among sages); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), बहुवचन

• rākṣasānām: of demons
• rākṣasānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

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

• dharmaḥ: practice/duty
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mahā-māṃsasya: of great flesh (human flesh)
• mahā-māṃsasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (great flesh/human flesh); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• bhakṣaṇam: eating
• bhakṣaṇam: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक

Speaker

Vṛṣādarbhī (King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Vṛṣādarbhī confronts the group, hand raised in admonition, declaring the act rākṣasa-like; the offenders appear ashamed or defiant beside the fire.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣādarbhī
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not suspended by suffering; even in crisis, censurable acts are to be recognized, stopped, and atoned for.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified here; the verse is a moral turning-point within the tīrtha-māhātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a direct ethical condemnation that leads into corrective counsel.