Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मनुष्यैरपि निंद्यं तद्वेतालत्वं प्रयास्यसि । मांसानि शोणितं चैव सर्वदा भक्षयिष्यसि

Transliteration

manuṣyairapi niṃdyaṃ tadvetālatvaṃ prayāsyasi | māṃsāni śoṇitaṃ caiva sarvadā bhakṣayiṣyasi

Translation

تو اُس ویتالا ہونے کی حالت میں جا پڑے گا جسے انسان بھی حقیر سمجھتے ہیں؛ اور تو ہمیشہ گوشت اور خون ہی کھاتا رہے گا۔

Word by Word

• मनुष्यैः: by men / by humans
• मनुष्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/also) — particle ‘also/even’

• निन्द्यम्: blameworthy; to be condemned
• निन्द्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निन्द्य (कृदन्त; √निन्द् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भविष्यत्/विधेय-योग्य (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ) — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular; ‘to be blamed’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular; demonstrative ‘that’

• वेतालत्वम्: state of being a vetāla
• वेतालत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• प्रयास्यसि: you will attain/go to
• प्रयास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 2nd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मांसानि: fleshes; meats
• मांसानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• शोणितम्: blood
• शोणितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात — conjunction ‘and’

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात — emphatic particle ‘indeed/just’

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — adverb of time ‘always’

• भक्षयिष्यसि: you will eat/devour
• भक्षयिष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 2nd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Gālava (continuing the curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra / Setubandha (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern curse pronounced: the condemned is shown slipping into a vetāla-like form—gaunt body, wild hair—amid a cremation-ground aura, with imagery of flesh and blood as the dreadful sustenance.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Vetāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruel and unrighteous conduct degrades consciousness and destiny, leading to states marked by impurity and social-spiritual revulsion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra remains the contextual pilgrimage frame, though the verse itself is a moral warning within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the nature of the cursed existence rather than prescribing a remedy.