Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

क्रूरबुद्धिरथो वीक्ष्य हतं श्रेष्ठं सहोदरम् । तं च पार्थिवशार्दूलमगम्यं ब्रह्मतेजसा

Transliteration

krūrabuddhiratho vīkṣya hataṃ śreṣṭhaṃ sahodaram | taṃ ca pārthivaśārdūlamagamyaṃ brahmatejasā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ക്രൂരബുദ്ധി തന്റെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ ജ്യേഷ്ഠസഹോദരൻ ഹതനായത് കണ്ടു; ബ്രഹ്മതേജസ്സാൽ അഗമ്യനായ ആ രാജശാർദൂലനെയും ദർശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• क्रूरबुद्धिः: the cruel-minded one
• क्रूरबुद्धिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रूर + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (क्रूरा बुद्धिः यस्य)

• अथो: then
• अथो: सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय) + उ (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थ (then/and)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• हतम्: slain
• हतम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘slain’

• श्रेष्ठम्: best, foremost
• श्रेष्ठम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सहोदरम्: brother
• सहोदरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सह + उदर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सह उदरे जातः’ (born of same womb)

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पार्थिवशार्दूलम्: the tiger among kings
• पार्थिवशार्दूलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पार्थिवः शार्दूलः’ (tiger among kings)

• अगम्यम्: unapproachable
• अगम्यम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + य (णीय/यत् कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मणि साध्य/अर्हार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘not to be approached’

• ब्रह्मतेजसा: by spiritual/brāhmaṇic splendor
• ब्रह्मतेजसा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः तेजः)

Speaker

Deductive (narratorial voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; explicit speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Krūrabuddhi stands amid fallen rākṣasas, staring at his slain brother; before him the king shines with a palpable aura, making approach impossible; the demon’s face mixes grief, rage, and fear.

Characters & Entities

• Krūrabuddhi
• Krūrākṣa
• Maitrasahi (implied)
• Brahma-tejas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Brahma-tejas—spiritual authority born of purity and rite—creates a protective aura that restrains adharma and fortifies righteous leadership.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues a tīrtha-māhātmya episode but does not specify the geographical tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it alludes to brahma-tejas, typically arising from mantra, dīkṣā, and priestly rite.