Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

षष्ठश्च मानुषः प्रोक्तः पैशाचः सप्तमः स्मृतः । अष्टमो राक्षसः प्रोक्तो नवमो यज्ञ एव च

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhaśca mānuṣaḥ proktaḥ paiśācaḥ saptamaḥ smṛtaḥ | aṣṭamo rākṣasaḥ prokto navamo yajña eva ca

Translation

“หมู่ที่หกกล่าวว่าเป็นมนุษย์; หมู่ที่เจ็ดระลึกว่าเป็นพวกปีศาจปิศาจะ (piśāca). หมู่ที่แปดประกาศว่าเป็นพวกรากษส (rākṣasa) และหมู่ที่เก้าคือหมู่ที่เนื่องด้วยยัญญะ (yajña) พิธีบูชายัญ”

Word by Word

• षष्ठः: sixth
• षष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (क्रमवाचक)

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

• मानुषः: human (class)
• मानुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातुः—वच् (2P) उपसर्गः—प्र

• पैशाचः: piśāca (ghoul)
• पैशाचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सप्तमः: seventh
• सप्तमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (क्रमवाचक)

• स्मृतः: is considered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अष्टमः: eighth
• अष्टमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (क्रमवाचक)

• राक्षसः: rākṣasa (demon)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नवमः: ninth
• नवमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (क्रमवाचक)

• यज्ञः: sacrifice (yajña)
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

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

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A multi-layered assembly: humans with offerings; shadowy piśācas at the periphery; formidable rākṣasas subdued and respectful; a luminous ‘yajña’ presence as a fire-altar or personified sacrificial force at the center.

Characters & Entities

• Piśāca
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even conflicting or fearsome classes of beings are placed within dharmic enumeration, implying yajña’s power to order and integrate creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the yajña narrative unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it continues the taxonomy of beings relevant to the yajña setting.