Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अकुलीनो ह्यसौ विप्रा नष्टो नष्टप्रियः सदा । भूतप्रेतपिशाचानां पतिरेको दुरत्ययः

Transliteration

akulīno hyasau viprā naṣṭo naṣṭapriyaḥ sadā | bhūtapretapiśācānāṃ patireko duratyayaḥ

Translation

हे ब्राह्मणांनो! तो अकुलीन आहे, नष्ट-भ्रष्ट झाला आहे आणि सदैव नष्ट गोष्टींवर आसक्त असतो. तो एकटाच भूत-प्रेत-पिशाचांचा अधिपती आहे—जिंकणे कठीण.

Word by Word

• अकुलीनः: of no noble lineage / ignoble
• अकुलीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• असौ: that man (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), बहुवचन

• नष्टः: ruined / lost
• नष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नष्टप्रियः: one whose loved ones are lost
• नष्टप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नष्टं प्रियं यस्य/whose dear ones are lost), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• भूतप्रेतपिशाचानाम्: of ghosts, spirits, and piśācas
• भूतप्रेतपिशाचानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + प्रेत + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-समास (भूताः प्रेताः पिशाचाः), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• पतिः: lord / master
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एकः: alone / single
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दुरत्ययः: hard to overcome / formidable
• दुरत्ययः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + अति + इ (धातु) + अच् (प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/नञ्-भाव (दुरत्यय = difficult to cross/overcome), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Same hostile/obstructive figure (contextual), speaking disparagingly of Rudra/Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense sacrificial assembly where a speaker denounces a formidable figure as ‘low-born’ yet terrifying—lord of bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas—hinting at Rudra’s overwhelming, liminal power.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra/Śiva
• Bhūta
• Preta
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows how ignorance can misread ascetic divinity as inauspicious; Purāṇas often reverse such slander by revealing the deity’s true supremacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the contextual setting; the narrative tension functions to heighten the later affirmation of Śiva’s greatness in the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive (and derogatory) characterization within the story.