Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

किमेतदिति सोपश्यदुन्नम्य सहसा मुखम् । भक्ष्यमाणं तया तत्स विज्ञाय द्विजनंदनः

Transliteration

kimetaditi sopaśyadunnamya sahasā mukham | bhakṣyamāṇaṃ tayā tatsa vijñāya dvijanaṃdanaḥ

Translation

เขาคิดว่า “นี่คืออะไรหนอ” แล้วเงยหน้าขึ้นโดยฉับพลัน ก็เห็นว่านางกำลังกัดกินสิ่งนั้นอยู่; ครั้นรู้ดังนี้ บุตรแห่งพราหมณ์จึงเข้าใจความจริง

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-suchaka (वचनसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उन्नम्य: having raised
• उन्नम्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having raised/lifted’

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: आकस्मिकत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb: suddenly)

• मुखम्: face/mouth
• मुखम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्ष्यमाणम्: being eaten
• भक्ष्यमाणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present passive participle; शानच्/मान), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तत्/एतत् इति)

• तया: by her
• तया: Kartr (कर्तृ/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having understood/recognized’

• द्विजनन्दनः: delight/son of a Brahmin
• द्विजनन्दनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजस्य नन्दनः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aśokadatta abruptly lifts his face and sees the bride devouring the fresh blood; realization dawns—she is not what she seemed.

Characters & Entities

• dvijanandana (Aśokadatta)
• the young woman (revealed as a devourer/possibly rākṣasī or piśācī in context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma includes alertness; evil may disguise itself, and wisdom recognizes it before greater harm occurs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Māhātmya is the overarching sacred setting; this verse advances the moral narrative within that pilgrimage context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on recognition of adharma (harmful intent).