Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सुग्रीवेण च भार्यार्थं राज्यार्थं राक्षसेन च । रावणावरजेन त्वं सेवितो ऽसि रघूद्वह

Transliteration

sugrīveṇa ca bhāryārthaṃ rājyārthaṃ rākṣasena ca | rāvaṇāvarajena tvaṃ sevito 'si raghūdvaha

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik dalam keturunan Raghu, Sugrīva berkhidmat kepadamu demi isterinya, dan rākṣasa (Vibhīṣaṇa), adik Rāvaṇa, berkhidmat kepadamu demi sebuah kerajaan.

Word by Word

• सुग्रीवेण: by Sugrīva
• सुग्रीवेण: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भार्यार्थम्: for (the sake of) a wife
• भार्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भार्या-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; भार्या + अर्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial: 'for the sake of wife')

• राज्यार्थम्: for (the sake of) a kingdom
• राज्यार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: राज्य-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; राज्य + अर्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (for the sake of kingdom)

• राक्षसेन: by a demon
• राक्षसेन: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• रावणावरजेन: by Rāvaṇa's younger brother
• रावणावरजेन: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण-अवरज (प्रातिपदिक; रावण + अवरज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Rāvaṇa's younger brother)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सेवितः: served
• सेवितः: Karta (Predicate in passive/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• रघूद्वह: O best of the Raghus
• रघूद्वह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु-उद्वह (प्रातिपदिक; रघु + उद्वह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bearer of the Raghu line)

Speaker

Hanūmān

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker points outward as if listing examples: Sugrīva seeking his wife/kingdom; Vibhīṣaṇa seeking sovereignty; Rāma stands listening, composed yet stern.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sugrīva
• Rāvaṇa
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It contrasts self-interested service with selfless devotion, urging recognition of pure bhakti beyond worldly motives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu–Rāmeśvaram, where these Ramāyaṇa-linked conversations are preserved as tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is ethical reflection on motives behind service.