Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

अजानतः प्रभो तस्य राक्षसैः सुदुरात्मभिः । प्रजैवं पीडिता भूमौ महामांसस्य लोलुपैः

Transliteration

ajānataḥ prabho tasya rākṣasaiḥ sudurātmabhiḥ | prajaivaṃ pīḍitā bhūmau mahāmāṃsasya lolupaiḥ

Translation

ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់! ដោយគាត់មិនដឹងទេ ប្រជាជនលើផែនដីត្រូវបានរាក្សសអាក្រក់បំផុតទាំងនោះបៀតបៀនយ៉ាងខ្លាំង ព្រោះពួកវាលោភលន់ចំពោះសាច់ជាច្រើន។

Word by Word

• ajānataḥ: of (him) not knowing; unaware
• ajānataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jñā (धातु) > ajānat (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; 'of (him) not knowing' (genitive absolute/qualifier)

• prabho: O lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• rākṣasaiḥ: by demons
• rākṣasaiḥ: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; agent/instrument with passive

• su-durātmabhiḥ: by very wicked (ones)
• su-durātmabhiḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + durātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'सु-दुरात्मानः' (very wicked); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; qualifying 'rākṣasaiḥ'

• prajā: the people
• prajā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; collective subject

• evam: thus, in this way
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• pīḍitā: was oppressed/tormented
• pīḍitā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pīḍ (धातु) > pīḍita (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; predicate participle agreeing with 'prajā'

• bhūmau: on the earth/ground
• bhūmau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; locative

• mahā-māṃsasya: of great flesh (much meat)
• mahā-māṃsasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'महच्च तत् मांसम्'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; dependent genitive with 'lolupaiḥ'

• lolupaiḥ: by the greedy (ones)
• lolupaiḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lolupa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; qualifying 'rākṣasaiḥ'

Speaker

Messenger (dūta) continuing the report

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Terrified villagers oppressed by fierce rākṣasas hunting for flesh; a dark forest-edge or desolate plain; the king unaware in the background or symbolically absent.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rākṣasas
• Prajā (people)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even unintended negligence can allow adharma to spread; rulers and guardians must remain vigilant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Rāmeśvara tīrtha narrative backdrop continues, framing the ethical crisis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes social harm and the moral urgency for corrective action.