Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

गत्वा ब्रूहि कुशं भूपं सत्वरं वचनान्मम । एतेषां मत्प्रशप्तानां राक्षसानां दुरात्मनाम् । अनुग्रहं कुरु विभो दीनानां भोजनाय वै

Transliteration

gatvā brūhi kuśaṃ bhūpaṃ satvaraṃ vacanānmama | eteṣāṃ matpraśaptānāṃ rākṣasānāṃ durātmanām | anugrahaṃ kuru vibho dīnānāṃ bhojanāya vai

Translation

«Ступай скорее и передай мои слова царю Куше. Эти злые ракшасы, мною проклятые, молят об облегчении. О могучий владыка, яви им сострадание: они несчастны и просят пищи.»

Word by Word

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriyā (Gerundial subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया: having gone

• brūhi: tell
• brūhi: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रूञ् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kuśam: Kuśa
• kuśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• bhūpam: the king
• bhūpam: Karma (Object/apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; कुशम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/अपपद (apposition: king)

• satvaram: quickly
• satvaram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (quickly)

• vacanāt: from (my) words / by (my) command
• vacanāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (on the authority of/from the words)

• mama: of me / my
• mama: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eteṣām: of these
• eteṣām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• mat-praśaptānām: cursed by me
• mat-praśaptānām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mad (asmad-प्रातिपदिक) + pra-śapta (√śap + kta, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: mayā praśaptāḥ (cursed by me)

• rākṣasānām: of the rākṣasas
• rākṣasānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• durātmanām: evil-souled
• durātmanām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: duṣṭa ātmā yeṣām (evil-souled)

• anugraham: favor / grace
• anugraham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• kuru: do / grant
• kuru: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vibho: O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• dīnānām: of the wretched
• dīnānām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; विशेषणं (राक्षसानाम्) प्रति

• bhojanāya: for food
• bhojanāya: Sampradāna/Prayojana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of food)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/उपपादक निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

Speaker

A messenger (dūta) reporting/relaying a plea (context: Rāmeśvara episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A messenger receives a charged instruction: appeal to King Kuśa to show mercy to cursed rākṣasas seeking food; the emotional center is the plea for compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa
• Rākṣasas
• Rāmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even those fallen through sin and curse may seek grace; dharma weighs compassion alongside justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvara (Rameshwaram), presented as a sacred setting where moral order and mercy are negotiated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse frames a dharmic request for relief/aid (food) in a tīrtha context.