Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

कामदां रामभक्तस्य अन्येषां क्षयकारिणीम् । उवाच च यदा राजा ब्रूते चिह्नं प्रदीयताम्

Transliteration

kāmadāṃ rāmabhaktasya anyeṣāṃ kṣayakāriṇīm | uvāca ca yadā rājā brūte cihnaṃ pradīyatām

Translation

அவன் கூறினான்— “இது ராமபக்தனுக்கு விருப்பநிறைவேற்றியாகும்; பிறருக்கு அழிவை உண்டாக்குவதாகும். அரசன் ‘அடையாளத்தை அளியுங்கள்’ எனக் கேட்டால், அந்தச் சின்னத்தை வழங்குங்கள்।”

Word by Word

• कामदाम्: wish-granting
• कामदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (कामं ददाति इति)

• रामभक्तस्य: of a devotee of Rāma
• रामभक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रामस्य भक्तः)

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• क्षयकारिणीम्: causing destruction
• क्षयकारिणीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षय + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्षयं करोति इति)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — and

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — when

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ब्रूते: says
• ब्रूते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• चिह्नम्: a mark, token
• चिह्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रदीयताम्: let (it) be given
• प्रदीयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/आज्ञार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive); 'let it be given'

Speaker

Añjanīputra (Hanumān) (instructional tone; continues the token’s rules)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the dvija sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hanumān explains the token’s dual potency—wish-fulfilling for a Rāma-devotee, ruinous for others—and instructs that it be shown when the king demands the sign; the scene carries a charged, protective mystique.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rāma
• Rāma-bhakta
• Rājan

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power aligns with devotion and dharma; sacred potency benefits the righteous and can become harmful when approached without devotion or integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it emphasizes devotion to Rāma and the dharmic protocol of revealing a sacred sign before the king.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear instruction is given: present the identifying sign (cihna/abhijñāna) when the king requests it.