Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

एवं दत्त्वाथ तेषां स शापं राक्षससत्तमः । ततः प्राह च तं दूतं पुनरेव कृतां जलिः

Transliteration

evaṃ dattvātha teṣāṃ sa śāpaṃ rākṣasasattamaḥ | tataḥ prāha ca taṃ dūtaṃ punareva kṛtāṃ jaliḥ

Translation

ครั้นประทานคำสาปแก่พวกนั้นดังนี้แล้ว รากษสผู้ประเสริฐก็กล่าวกับทูตผู้นั้นอีกครั้ง ด้วยประนมมือด้วยความเคารพ

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (एवम्) (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): एवम् (thus)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): दत्त्वा = √दा, ‘having given’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ) (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): अथ (then/now)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• śāpam: a curse
• śāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (शाप) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• rākṣasa-sattamaḥ: the best of demons
• rākṣasa-sattamaḥ: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (राक्षस) + sattama (सत्तम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: राक्षसानां सत्तमः (best among demons); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ततः (thereafter)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra- + √ah (अह्/ब्रू) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): च (and)

• tam: that (him)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• dūtam: messenger
• dūtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (दूत) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• punar: again
• punar: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (पुनर्) (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): पुनः (again)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): एव (indeed)

• kṛtām: made/done
• kṛtām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle): कृत; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘made/done’ (qualifying jaliṃ)

• jalim: añjali (folded-hands salutation)
• jalim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jali (जलि) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; ‘añjali’ sense (folded hands/salutation)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After pronouncing the curse, the rākṣasa-chief lowers his intensity, joins palms in añjali, and respectfully addresses the messenger; the atmosphere shifts from stormy to controlled solemnity.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa (rākṣasasattama)
• Dūta (messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the powerful are bound by dharma’s moral gravity; humility and correction follow wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in this verse; it serves the narrative transition within Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse notes the añjali (joined-hands) gesture as a sign of respect; no formal rite is prescribed.