Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

रक्षसा तेन यद्युक्तमखिलं तत्त्वमाचर । किं वा ते बहुनोक्तेन नास्ति भक्तस्तथा विधः । भक्तिशक्तिसमोपेतो यथा ते स विभीषणः

Transliteration

rakṣasā tena yadyuktamakhilaṃ tattvamācara | kiṃ vā te bahunoktena nāsti bhaktastathā vidhaḥ | bhaktiśaktisamopeto yathā te sa vibhīṣaṇaḥ

Translation

«Se o que é prescrito por esse rākṣasa é adequado, segue integralmente a verdade disso. Para que dizer muito? Não há devoto de tal espécie—dotado do poder da bhakti—como o teu Vibhīṣaṇa.»

Word by Word

• रक्षसा: by the demon
• रक्षसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (रक्षस्-शब्दः), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular ‘by/with the demon’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular ‘by him/with him’

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘whatever/that which’ (here correlating with तत् implied)

• युक्तम्: proper, fitting
• युक्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘proper/appropriate’ (predicate with यत्)

• अखिलम्: entire, complete
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter (qualifying तत्त्वम् / object of आचर)

• तत्त्वम्: truth, principle
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• आचर: practice, follow
• आचर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; imperative 2nd person singular

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; dative singular ‘to you/for you’

• बहुना: with much (talk)
• बहुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular used idiomatically ‘with much (talk)’

• उक्तेन: by speaking, by words said
• उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular ‘by what is said’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 3rd person singular

• भक्तः: devotee
• भक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• तथा: thus, such
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• विधः: of that kind
• विधः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine (predicate adjective to भक्तः)

• भक्तिशक्तिसमोपेतः: endowed with the power of devotion
• भक्तिशक्तिसमोपेतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + शक्ति + समुपेत (प्रातिपदिक; उप + इ → उपेत कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine; समासः तत्पुरुष (भक्तिशक्त्या समुपेतः = endowed with devotional power)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (comparative/‘as’)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; genitive singular ‘your’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• विभीषणः: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

Speaker

Narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa (contextual dialogue; exact speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mohīpati (king) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A counselor extols Vibhīṣaṇa as unmatched in devotion, urging the king to follow what is truly fitting even if proposed by a rākṣasa; the scene blends moral discernment with devotional admiration.

Characters & Entities

• rākṣasa
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is presented as a spiritual power that surpasses mere status; true devotion becomes the measure of excellence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the passage supports a Rāmeśvara tīrtha setting by invoking Rāma-linked figures such as Vibhīṣaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on aligning action with tattva (truth) and devotion.