Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ततः कपालस्फोटो ऽसौ वेतालैः सर्वतो वृतः । नरास्थिभूषणाख्यस्य सद्यो वेतालभूपतेः

Transliteration

tataḥ kapālasphoṭo 'sau vetālaiḥ sarvato vṛtaḥ | narāsthibhūṣaṇākhyasya sadyo vetālabhūpateḥ

Translation

แล้วกปาลสโผฏะผู้นั้น ถูกเหล่าเวตาละห้อมล้อมรอบด้าน ก็รีบเข้าเฝ้าพระราชาเวตาละนามว่า “นราสถิภูษณะ” โดยพลัน

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereupon)

• कपालस्फोटः: Kapālasphoṭa
• कपालस्फोटः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल-स्फोट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कपालस्य स्फोटः’ (proper name)

• असौ: this/he
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• वेतालैः: by/with vetālas
• वेतालैः: Instrument/Association (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिक्/परिमाणवाचक (from all sides)

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘surrounded’

• नरास्थिभूषणाख्यस्य: of (the one) named Narāsthibhūṣaṇa
• नरास्थिभूषणाख्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-अस्थि-भूषण-आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; बहु-तत्पुरुष-समासः—‘नराणाम् अस्थीनि भूषणानि यस्य’ + ‘आख्य’ (named Narāsthibhūṣaṇa)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (immediately)

• वेतालभूपतेः: of the king of vetālas
• वेतालभूपतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल-भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘वेतालानां भूपतिः’

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kapālasphoṭa, ringed by vetālas, is ushered into a grim royal audience: the vetāla-king Narāsthibhūṣaṇa adorned with human-bone ornaments sits like a sovereign in a shadow court.

Characters & Entities

• Kapālasphoṭa
• Narāsthibhūṣaṇa (Vetāla-king)
• Vetālas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic paths form their own hierarchies and ‘kingdoms’; dharma urges refuge in the divine, not in fearful powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra is the overarching sacred geography of the Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.