Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

इत्येते क्रूरकर्माणः पौलस्त्या राक्षसा नव । विभीषणो विशुद्धात्मा दशमः परिकीर्तितः

Transliteration

ityete krūrakarmāṇaḥ paulastyā rākṣasā nava | vibhīṣaṇo viśuddhātmā daśamaḥ parikīrtitaḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പൗലസ്ത്യവംശത്തിലെ ആ ഒമ്പത് രാക്ഷസർ ക്രൂരകർമ്മികളായിരുന്നു; എന്നാൽ വിശുദ്ധാത്മാവായ വിഭീഷണൻ പത്താമനായി കീർത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative/particle: ‘thus’)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्रूरकर्माणः: of cruel deeds
• क्रूरकर्माणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूरकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (क्रूरं कर्म येषां ते)

• पौलस्त्याः: Paulastyas (descendants of Pulastya)
• पौलस्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; जाति/वंशवाचक (descendants of Pulastya)

• राक्षसाः: rākṣasas
• राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नव: nine
• नव: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; अत्र पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (nine)

• विभीषणः: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशुद्धात्मा: pure-souled
• विशुद्धात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्धात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (विशुद्धः + आत्मा)

• दशमः: the tenth
• दशमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• परिकीर्तितः: is proclaimed / is described
• परिकीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √कीर्त्/√कृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (has been proclaimed)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark assembly of nine fierce Paulastya rākṣasas contrasted with Vibhīṣaṇa standing luminous and calm, hands in añjali, signifying purity amid cruelty.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Birth does not bind one to adharma; even among the cruel, a pure-hearted person can stand apart by choosing righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, where sacred place and sacred history together reinforce dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse offers ethical emphasis through contrast in character.