Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

शूलमारोप्यतां क्षिप्रं न विचारस्तु तस्य वै । स च वध्यो मया दुष्टो रक्षोरूपी तपोधनः

Transliteration

śūlamāropyatāṃ kṣipraṃ na vicārastu tasya vai | sa ca vadhyo mayā duṣṭo rakṣorūpī tapodhanaḥ

Translation

彼を直ちに杭につけよ。彼について議論の余地はない。見かけは「苦行の宝庫」だが、その実は羅刹（ラークシャサ）のような悪党であり、私が処刑せねばならない。

Word by Word

• शूलम्: the stake / spear
• शूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आरोप्यताम्: let (him) be impaled / mounted
• आरोप्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्/आ-रोप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive imperative: ‘let (him) be mounted/impaled’)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• न: no / not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• विचारः: deliberation
• विचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वध्यः: to be killed / deserving death
• वध्यः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (fit to be killed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दुष्टः: wicked
• दुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• रक्षः-रूपी: demon-formed
• रक्षः-रूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रक्षसः रूपी = having the form of a demon)

• तपोधनः: the ascetic (whose wealth is austerity)
• तपोधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (तपो धनं यस्य सः)

Speaker

King (implied, issuing a sentence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king orders immediate impalement; execution stake is prepared; the accused ascetic is labeled ‘rakṣasa-like’ despite a tapasvin façade; urgency and harshness dominate the scene.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Rakṣasa-like wrongdoer (rakṣorūpī)
• Śūla (impalement stake)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma becomes predatory and deceptive, rajadharma demands decisive protection of society; austerity without righteousness is treated as demonic, not holy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly glorified in this verse; it is a justice-focused moment within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse concerns royal sentencing and punitive action.