Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वं राक्षसो भूत्वा कञ्चित्कालं नृपो त्तम । स्वरूपं लप्स्यसे भूयो यस्मिन्काले शृणुष्व तम्

Transliteration

tasmāttvaṃ rākṣaso bhūtvā kañcitkālaṃ nṛpo ttama | svarūpaṃ lapsyase bhūyo yasminkāle śṛṇuṣva tam

Translation

“Maka, wahai raja yang terbaik, engkau akan menjadi rākṣasa untuk suatu waktu. Namun engkau akan memperoleh kembali rupa sejati dirimu—dengarkan daripadaku saat dan syarat terjadinya hal itu.”

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (ablatival adverb)

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

• राक्षसः: a demon (rakshasa)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• कञ्चित्: some
• कञ्चित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कञ्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कालम्: time/period
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृप-उत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वरूपम्: one's own form/nature
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• लप्स्यसे: you will obtain
• लप्स्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• तम्: that (time/thing)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (a narrator/authority figure addressing the king; immediately followed by Sūta narration in the next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker pronounces a destined transformation: the king will become a rākṣasa for a period, yet will regain his true form; the moment balances dread with assurance.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)
• rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even severe karmic consequences may be temporary; steadfast dharma and the right turning point can restore one to one’s true nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated here; it foreshadows a condition for release.