Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा विररामाशु ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । राक्षसः सोऽपि तत्रापि लेभे स्थानं तु राक्षसम्

Transliteration

ityuktvā virarāmāśu brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | rākṣasaḥ so'pi tatrāpi lebhe sthānaṃ tu rākṣasam

Translation

Tendo assim falado, Brahmā, o Avô dos mundos, calou-se de pronto; e aquele rākṣasa, ali mesmo, obteve a posição própria de um rākṣasa.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक (quotative: 'thus')

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु) → uktvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund: 'having said')

• virarāma: ceased, stopped
• virarāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√ram (रम् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg perfect, parasmaipada)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शीघ्रार्थक (adverb: quickly)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• loka-pitāmahaḥ: grandfather of the worlds
• loka-pitāmahaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• rākṣasaḥ: the demon
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Pronoun; Masculine, Nom., Singular)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also/even)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also)

• lebhe: obtained
• lebhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd sg perfect, ātmanepada)

• sthānam: a place, position
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषणार्थक/विरोध (indeed/but)

• rākṣasam: demonic
• rākṣasam: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object qualifier/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular; used adjectivally with sthānam)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration summarizing Brahmā’s speech)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame); within it, the rākṣasa is the addressed party

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, serene and authoritative, ends his speech; the rākṣasa bows and is enveloped by a dark aura signifying attainment of ‘rākṣasa-sthāna’; the setting suggests a sacred assembly near a tīrtha with sages witnessing.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Lokapitāmaha
• Rākṣasa
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives warn that ritual negligence has real consequences, and merit can be lost to unworthy recipients.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it urges strict correctness in śrāddha/yajña so that the fruit does not become misdirected.