Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । भगवन्राक्षसः कोऽसौ सूत पौराणिकोत्तम । विष्णुभक्तं महात्मानं यो गालवमबाधत

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | bhagavanrākṣasaḥ ko'sau sūta paurāṇikottama | viṣṇubhaktaṃ mahātmānaṃ yo gālavamabādhata

Translation

ഋഷികൾ പറഞ്ഞു—ഭഗവൻ സൂതാ, പൗരാണികോത്തമാ! വിഷ്ണുഭക്തനായ മഹാത്മാവ് ഗാലവനെ ഉപദ്രവിച്ച ആ രാക്ഷസൻ ആരായിരുന്നു?

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• bhagavan: O venerable one
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• rākṣasaḥ: demon
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दूरवाचक-सर्वनाम

• sūta: O Sūta
• sūta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• paurāṇika-uttama: best of the Purāṇa-knowers
• paurāṇika-uttama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paurāṇika (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पौराणिकेषु उत्तमः)

• viṣṇu-bhaktam: devoted to Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu-bhaktam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः भक्तः)

• mahātmānam: the great-souled one
• mahātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• yaḥ: who (that one who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• gālavam: Gālava
• gālavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gālava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• abādhata: troubled, afflicted
• abādhata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bādh (बाध् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्गः ‘अ-’ (अभावे न, अत्र भूतकाल-आगमः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (assembled sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (paurāṇika)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-assembly of sages seated in a semicircle, respectfully addressing Sūta; their faces show earnest curiosity about the rākṣasa who afflicted the Vaiṣṇava Gālava.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Gālava
• Viṣṇu
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching proceeds through humble inquiry: sages ask for the backstory so that dharma, devotion, and the consequences of adharma become clear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as the narrative gateway to the Setukhaṇḍa episode connected with sacred places and their protecting power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the question that initiates the account.