Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38
Devanagari script
स बिभ्रद्राक्षसं रूपं घोरं कालां तकोपमम् । चखाद विविधाञ्जंतून्मानुषादीन्वनेचरः
Transliteration
sa bibhradrākṣasaṃ rūpaṃ ghoraṃ kālāṃ takopamam | cakhāda vividhāñjaṃtūnmānuṣādīnvanecaraḥ
Translation
കാലാന്തകമൃത്യുവിനെപ്പോലെ ഭീകരമായ രാക്ഷസരൂപം ധരിച്ചു, വനത്തിൽ സഞ്ചരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് മനുഷ്യാദി വിവിധ ജീവികളെ അവൻ ഭക്ഷിച്ചു।
Word by Word
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन
बिभ्रत्bearing/assuming
बिभ्रत्:
Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootभृ (धातु)
Formशतृ (present active participle) पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘बिभ्रत्’ = bearing, assuming
राक्षसम्demonic
राक्षसम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootराक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘राक्षसम्’ रूपम् इति विशेषण
रूपम्form
रूपम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन
घोरम्terrible
घोरम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootघोर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इति विशेषण
कालाम्black, dark
कालाम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाला (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘काला’ = black/dark (agreeing with implied ‘तनुम्/छायाम्’ or as adjective to ‘रूपम्’ by sense)
तकोपमम्resembling buttermilk
तकोपमम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतक (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तकेन उपमम्) = resembling buttermilk (pale/whitish)
चखादate, devoured
चखाद:
Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootखाद् (धातु)
Formलिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
विविधान्various
विविधान्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootविविध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘जन्तून्’ इति विशेषण
जन्तून्creatures, beings
जन्तून्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootजन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन
मानुषादीन्humans and others
मानुषादीन्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमानुष (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मानुषाः आदयः येषाम्) = humans and others
वनेचरःthe forest-dweller
वनेचरः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवन (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वने चरः) = one who moves in the forest
Speaker
Narrator (Purāṇic recounting)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A towering rākṣasa with dark complexion and fierce eyes, ‘like Time-of-Death’, stalks the forest and devours beings; scattered remnants and terrified animals convey dread.
Characters & Entities
K
KalmaṣāṅghriR
RākṣasaFAQs
When dharma collapses, the human becomes prey to tamas—cruelty and uncontrolled appetite—illustrating the terror of spiritual degradation.
No tīrtha is mentioned; this verse intensifies the narrative consequence of the curse.
None.