Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

राघवस्तस्य चेष्टाभिः सम्यक्स्वचरितैर्हितैः । अदुष्टमेनं दृष्ट्वैव तत एनमपूजयत्

Transliteration

rāghavastasya ceṣṭābhiḥ samyaksvacaritairhitaiḥ | aduṣṭamenaṃ dṛṣṭvaiva tata enamapūjayat

Translation

राघवस्तस्य सम्यगाचारहितैः स्वचरितैश्चेष्टाभिः तं निरदुष्टं दृष्ट्वैव ततः परं सादरमेनमपूजयत्।

Word by Word

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rāma)
• राघवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• चेष्टाभिः: by (his) actions/efforts
• चेष्टाभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सम्यक्: properly, well
• सम्यक्: Visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• स्वचरितैः: by his own deeds/conduct
• स्वचरितैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used substantively)

• हितैः: beneficial, wholesome
• हितैः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (कृदन्त; √धा (धातु) + क्त, ‘placed/beneficial’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying स्वचरितैः)

• अदुष्टम्: not wicked, blameless
• अदुष्टम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying एनम्)

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• ततः: then, thereupon
• ततः: Desha/Kala (देश/काल-अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thereupon/from that’)

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अपূजयत्: honoured, worshipped
• अपূजयत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/śaunaka-type setting varies by recension)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma observes Vibhīṣaṇa’s humble, righteous demeanor and offers respectful honor in a royal-camp setting after recognizing his goodwill.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True discernment reads character in actions; honoring the virtuous is itself dharma and strengthens righteous alliances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains situated in the Cakratīrtha halt of Setu-khaṇḍa, part of the sacred itinerary toward Setubandha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; “apūjayat” indicates honoring the righteous as a dharmic act.