Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

राक्षस उवाच । राक्षसोऽहमितः पूर्वं पंचविंशतिमे भवे । गोप्ता यवनराष्ट्रस्य दुर्जयो नाम वीर्यवान्

Transliteration

rākṣasa uvāca | rākṣaso'hamitaḥ pūrvaṃ paṃcaviṃśatime bhave | goptā yavanarāṣṭrasya durjayo nāma vīryavān

Translation

ରାକ୍ଷସ କହିଲା—ପୂର୍ବେ, ଏହା ପୂର୍ବରୁ, ମୋର ପଞ୍ଚବିଂଶତମ ଜନ୍ମରେ ମୁଁ ରାକ୍ଷସ ଥିଲି; ଯବନ-ରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରର ରକ୍ଷକ, ପରାକ୍ରମୀ, ‘ଦୁର୍ଜୟ’ ନାମରେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ।

Word by Word

• राक्षसः: the demon
• राक्षसः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राक्षसः: a demon
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/देशवाचक (from here; hence)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/before)

• पञ्चविंशतिमे: in the twenty-fifth
• पञ्चविंशतिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (Locative singular) ‘भवे’ इति विशेषण; द्विगु-समास: पञ्च च विंशतिः (25)

• भवे: in (a) birth/existence
• भवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (Locative singular)

• गोप्ता: protector
• गोप्ता: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Nominative singular); कर्तृवाचक (protector/guardian)

• यवनराष्ट्रस्य: of the Yavana kingdom
• यवनराष्ट्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवन + राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (Genitive singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यवनानां राष्ट्रम् (country of the Yavanas)

• दुर्जयः: Durjaya
• दुर्जयः: Karta (Apposition/name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मधारय: दुर्जयः (hard to conquer)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable used to indicate name: ‘by name’)

• वीर्यवान्: powerful; valiant
• वीर्यवान्: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘दुर्जयः’)

Speaker

Rākṣasa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāmadeva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rākṣasa narrates his former identity: a mighty guardian with martial insignia, now reduced to a haunted forest being; the scene can show a faint ‘past-life’ vignette behind him like a shadow-panel.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa
• Durjaya
• Yavana-rāṣṭra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas frame suffering as rooted in a long karmic continuum; acknowledging one’s past becomes the start of correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse references a realm (Yavana-rāṣṭra) rather than a pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is autobiographical context.