Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अशोकवनिकावृक्षानभांक्षीस्त्वं महाकपे । ततस्त्वशीतिसाहस्रान्किंकरान्नाम राक्षसान्

Transliteration

aśokavanikāvṛkṣānabhāṃkṣīstvaṃ mahākape | tatastvaśītisāhasrānkiṃkarānnāma rākṣasān

Translation

ഹേ മഹാകപേ! നീ അശോകവനികയിലെ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളെ തകർത്തു; തുടർന്ന് ‘കിങ്കര’ എന്നു പേരുള്ള എൺപതിനായിരം രാക്ഷസരെ സംഹരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अशोकवनिकावृक्षान्: trees of the Aśoka grove
• अशोकवनिकावृक्षान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक + वनिका + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (अशोकवनिकायाः वृक्षाः) — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अभाङ्क्षीः: you broke/destroyed
• अभाङ्क्षीः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ + भञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: भञ्ज् (to break), उपसर्ग/निषेध: अ- (augment)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाकपे: O great monkey
• महाकपे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास (महान् कपिः), पुल्लिङ्ग, संबोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरबोधक क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereafter)

• त्व: you
• त्व: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वम् (युष्मद्)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (सन्ध्यन्तरगत रूप)

• अशीतिसाहस्रान्: eighty-thousand
• अशीतिसाहस्रान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशीति + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु समास (अशीति-साहस्र = 80,000), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• किंकरान्: servants/henchmen
• किंकरान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नाम: named/indeed
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/ख्यात्यर्थक निपात (indeed/by name)

• राक्षसान्: rākṣasas (demons)
• राक्षसान्: Karman (Apposition to kiṃkarān)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śrī Rāma (addressing Hanūmān)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hanumān

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hanumān uproots and shatters Aśoka grove trees; waves of Kiṅkara rākṣasas rush in and are defeated—dynamic motion amid broken branches and flying leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• Hanūmān
• Aśokavanikā
• Kiṅkara rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, decisive strength used in service of righteousness becomes a form of protective duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu/Rāmeśvaram complex is the overarching tīrtha-frame; Laṅkā episodes are recalled to magnify the sanctity of the Setu tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a martial-narrative praise within a māhātmya setting.