Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एवमस्त्विति देवेशैः प्रतिज्ञातं तदा मुने । स्वांशेन प्रकरिप्याम द्विजानां तव रक्षणम्

Transliteration

evamastviti deveśaiḥ pratijñātaṃ tadā mune | svāṃśena prakaripyāma dvijānāṃ tava rakṣaṇam

Translation

Da gelobten die Herren der Götter: „So sei es, o Weiser. Mit einem Anteil unserer eigenen Macht werden wir deiner Gemeinschaft der Zweimalgeborenen (Brāhmaṇas) geziemend Schutz gewähren.“

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इति: thus (saying)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/उक्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• देवेशैः: by the lords of the gods
• देवेशैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati- (उपसर्ग) + jñā (धातु) + ta (क्त) → pratijñāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘(अस्तु)’ इत्यस्य भावः

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• स्वांशेन: by (our) own portion/partial manifestation
• स्वांशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वः अंशः / स्वस्य अंशः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• प्रकरिप्याम: we shall do/undertake
• प्रकरिप्याम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra- (उपसर्ग) + kṛp (धातु)
• Form: लृट्/लुट्-सम्भाव्य-पाठभेद; आशयः: भविष्यत्काल/प्रतिज्ञा; उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; (पाठे ‘प्रकरिप्याम’ = ‘प्रकरिष्यामः’ इत्यर्थे)

• द्विजानाम्: of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• रक्षणम्: protection
• रक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣ (धातु) + lyuṭ (प्रत्यय) → rakṣaṇa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाववाचक-नाम (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā–Viṣṇu–Maheśvara (collectively, implied as deveśāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods respond with a firm promise: by a portion of their own power they will protect the brāhmaṇas of the sage’s community.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is upheld and rightly requested, divine forces pledge protection—especially for the custodians of Vedic tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes protection of dvijas and sacred order; the specific locale is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A divine pratijñā (vow) of protection—framed as safeguarding dvijas through a share of divine power (svāṃśa).