Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । यस्माद्दुर्दम गंधर्व दृष्ट्वास्मांल्लज्जया त्वया । वासो नाच्छादितं शीघ्रं याहि राक्षसतां ततः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | yasmāddurdama gaṃdharva dṛṣṭvāsmāṃllajjayā tvayā | vāso nācchāditaṃ śīghraṃ yāhi rākṣasatāṃ tataḥ

Translation

വസിഷ്ഠൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ ദുര്ദമ ഗന്ധർവാ! ഞങ്ങളെ കണ്ടിട്ടും നീ ലജ്ജയോടെ ഉടൻ വസ്ത്രം മറച്ചില്ല; അതിനാൽ നീ രാക്ഷസാവസ്ഥയിലേക്കു പോകുക.

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धार्थे पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपम्; हेत्वर्थे (because/since)

• दुर्दम: O Durdama
• दुर्दम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• गन्धर्व: O Gandharva
• गन्धर्व: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• लज्जया: out of shame
• लज्जया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वासः: garment
• वासः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• आच्छादितम्: covered
• आच्छादितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-छाद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (वासः) विशेषण

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• याहि: go
• याहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राक्षसताम्: to the state of a rākṣasa
• राक्षसताम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state/condition)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thereupon/then)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha pronounces the curse with a raised hand; Durdama the Gandharva recoils as his fate shifts toward rakṣasa-state; sages witness in solemn silence; women stand aside, covered and anxious.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Durdama
• Gandharva
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A lapse in dharmic restraint before the holy (sages) is portrayed as a grave fault that can transform one’s destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra is the broader setting in Setukhaṇḍa; the verse itself is a moral-causal episode within that sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records a curse (śāpa) based on conduct.