Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

प्रयास्यन्स्वगृहं तत्र ददर्श पथि राक्षसम् । द्रुतं च क्रूरकर्माणं दृष्ट्वा भक्षितुमागतम्

Transliteration

prayāsyansvagṛhaṃ tatra dadarśa pathi rākṣasam | drutaṃ ca krūrakarmāṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhakṣitumāgatam

Translation

ครั้นออกเดินทางกลับเรือนของตน เขาเห็นยักษ์รากษสอยู่กลางทาง—ว่องไวและโหดร้ายในการกระทำ—กำลังพุ่งเข้ามาเพื่อจะกลืนกินเขา

Word by Word

• प्रयास्यन्: while going
• प्रयास्यन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘going forth’

• स्वगृहम्: his own house
• स्वगृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (स्वं गृहम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• द्रुतम्: swiftly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• क्रूरकर्माणम्: one of cruel deeds
• क्रूरकर्माणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (क्रूरं कर्म यस्य सः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having seen’

• भक्षितुम्: to devour
• भक्षितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), ‘to eat/devour’

• आगतम्: having come/approached
• आगतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (राक्षसम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā/Gomatī merit carried outward

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lonely road at dusk; the pilgrim with prasāda on shoulder halts as a fierce rākṣasa rushes forward, claws extended, eyes blazing; tension between sanctity and predation.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The devotee’s journey may face sudden danger, setting the stage for divine safeguarding and the triumph of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya, presenting how Dvārakā-linked devotion protects even away from the city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a narrative turning point toward protection through spiritual merit.