Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

इति व्यवसितः पापो राक्षसो मनुजाकृतिः । आससाद नृपश्रेष्ठमुत्पात इव मूर्तिमान्

Transliteration

iti vyavasitaḥ pāpo rākṣaso manujākṛtiḥ | āsasāda nṛpaśreṣṭhamutpāta iva mūrtimān

Translation

Đã quyết như thế, tên rākṣasa tội lỗi ấy—mang hình người—tiến đến bậc vua tối thượng, như một điềm dữ hữu hình của tai ương.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• vyavasitaḥ: resolved; determined
• vyavasitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + ava + √sā (धातु) → vyavasita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• pāpaḥ: sinful; wicked
• pāpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• rākṣasaḥ: a rakṣasa (demon)
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• manujākṛtiḥ: having human form
• manujākṛtiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositional qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuja + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/उपपद-समासः: 'manuṣya-ākṛti' = human-form)

• āsasāda: approached; came upon
• āsasāda: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √sad (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• nṛpaśreṣṭham: the best of kings
• nṛpaśreṣṭham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: 'of kings' + 'best')

• utpātaḥ: a portent; calamity
• utpātaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-निपात (comparative particle)

• mūrtimān: embodied; having form
• mūrtimān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūrti + mat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)

Speaker

Narrator (not specified in the excerpt; likely the Purāṇic narrator within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rākṣasa in human guise steps into the royal precincts; behind him faint shadow-form hints at his true nature; the air feels heavy, birds scatter, and courtiers sense unease.

Characters & Entities

• rākṣasa
• nṛpaśreṣṭha (best of kings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Evil may appear respectable outwardly; discernment (viveka) is required to recognize the ‘embodied omen’ behind a pleasing form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred geography is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.