Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वं राक्षसो भूत्वा कञ्चित्कालं नृपो त्तम । स्वरूपं लप्स्यसे भूयो यस्मिन्काले शृणुष्व तम्

Transliteration

tasmāttvaṃ rākṣaso bhūtvā kañcitkālaṃ nṛpo ttama | svarūpaṃ lapsyase bhūyo yasminkāle śṛṇuṣva tam

Translation

«Ainsi, ô le meilleur des rois, tu deviendras un rākṣasa pour un certain temps. Mais tu retrouveras de nouveau ta forme véritable ; écoute de moi le moment et la condition où cela adviendra.»

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (ablatival adverb)

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

• राक्षसः: a demon (rakshasa)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• कञ्चित्: some
• कञ्चित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कञ्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कालम्: time/period
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृप-उत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वरूपम्: one's own form/nature
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• लप्स्यसे: you will obtain
• लप्स्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• तम्: that (time/thing)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (a narrator/authority figure addressing the king; immediately followed by Sūta narration in the next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker pronounces a destined transformation: the king will become a rākṣasa for a period, yet will regain his true form; the moment balances dread with assurance.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)
• rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even severe karmic consequences may be temporary; steadfast dharma and the right turning point can restore one to one’s true nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated here; it foreshadows a condition for release.