Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

सद्यो वेता लतां प्राप तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रस्तदा निशि । तस्याट्टहासघोषेण दिशश्च प्रदिशस्तदा

Transliteration

sadyo vetā latāṃ prāpa tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrastadā niśi | tasyāṭṭahāsaghoṣeṇa diśaśca pradiśastadā

Translation

ทันใดนั้นในราตรี เขาบรรลุสภาพเป็นเวตาล มีเขี้ยวคมกล้า และด้วยเสียงหัวเราะก้องกังวาน ทิศและทิศย่อยทั้งปวงก็สะท้านก้อง

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• वेतालः: the Vetāla (ghoul)
• वेतालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vetāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• लताम्: a creeper/vine
• लताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: latā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप: obtained, reached
• प्राप: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: √आप् (प्राप्तौ) उपसर्ग: प्र-

• तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रः: sharp-fanged
• तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīkṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + daṃṣṭrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तीक्ष्णा दंष्ट्रा यस्य)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Temporal adverb)

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अट्टहासघोषेण: by the roar of (his) loud laughter
• अट्टहासघोषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭṭahāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ghoṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अट्टहासस्य घोषः)

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• प्रदिशः: the intermediate directions
• प्रदिशः: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradiś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Temporal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Setukhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame, typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the dead of night, the transformed being shows sharp fangs; his booming, manic laughter rolls outward so powerfully that all directions seem to echo and tremble.

Characters & Entities

• Vetāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma manifests as fear and disturbance to the world; dharmic life preserves harmony in all directions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra is the overarching pilgrimage context, though this verse itself is a narrative event.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a transformation and its ominous effects.