Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अद्राक्षीद्राक्षसं घोरमतीव विकृताकृतिम् । शुष्कशंखकपोलास्यं निमग्ना पिंगलोचनम्

Transliteration

adrākṣīdrākṣasaṃ ghoramatīva vikṛtākṛtim | śuṣkaśaṃkhakapolāsyaṃ nimagnā piṃgalocanam

Translation

เขาเห็นยักษ์รากษสอันน่าสะพรึง รูปร่างบิดเบี้ยวอย่างยิ่ง แก้มและหน้าดุจสังข์แห้งกรัง ดวงตาสีน้ำตาลเหลืองจมลึกเข้าไป

Word by Word

• अद्राक्षीत्: saw
• अद्राक्षीत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: दृश्; रूपम्: अद्राक्षीत्

• राक्षसम्: a demon
• राक्षसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; राक्षसम् इति विशेषणम्

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• विकृताकृतिम्: of deformed appearance
• विकृताकृतिम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत-आकृति (प्रातिपदिक; विकृत + आकृति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (‘विकृता आकृतिः यस्य’/‘विकृतैव आकृतिः’)

• शुष्कशङ्खकपोलास्यम्: with dry temples, cheeks, and mouth
• शुष्कशङ्खकपोलास्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क-शङ्ख-कपोल-आस्य (प्रातिपदिक; शुष्क + शङ्ख + कपोल + आस्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-समास (वर्णनात्मक): ‘शुष्कौ शङ्खौ कपोलौ यस्य, तथा आस्यम्’ (descriptive determinative)

• निमग्नम्: sunken
• निमग्नम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-मग्न (प्रातिपदिक; √मज्ज् (धातु) से क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘sunken’

• पिङ्गलोचनम्: with tawny/yellowish eyes
• पिङ्गलोचनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्गल-लोचन (प्रातिपदिक; पिङ्गल + लोचन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (‘पिङ्गले लोचने यस्य’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-associated saras (lake) vicinity

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic looks up and beholds a terrifying rākṣasa—distorted body, dried conch-like cheeks and face, tawny eyes sunk deep—looming near the water’s edge.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

On the path of worship, frightening obstacles may appear; steadfastness in dharma prepares one to face them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa sacred geography; this verse itself emphasizes the encounter rather than naming a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a narrative description of an ominous apparition.