Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

त्वां मुक्त्वा ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ तस्मादस्थीनि यच्छ नः । स्वकीयानि भवेद्येन वज्रं तस्य विनाशकम्

Transliteration

tvāṃ muktvā brāhmaṇaśreṣṭha tasmādasthīni yaccha naḥ | svakīyāni bhavedyena vajraṃ tasya vināśakam

Translation

Darum, o erhabenster Brāhmaṇa, außer dir gibt es keine Hilfe: gib uns deine Gebeine, damit aus deinem eigenen Leib der Vajra entstehe, der heilige Donnerkeil, der ihn vernichtet.

Word by Word

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मुक्त्वा: leaving aside, except
• मुक्त्वा: Apadana (Exclusion/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √मुच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive) = 'having left/excepting'

• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ: O best brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; 'best among brāhmaṇas'

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; 'therefore/from that'

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• यच्छ: give
• यच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'give'

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), बहुवचन; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to us)

• स्वकीयानि: (that they be) your own
• स्वकीयानि: Karta (Subject of bhavet/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वकीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (own)

• भवेत्: may become / would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक relative pronoun

• वज्रम्: the vajra (thunderbolt)
• वज्रम्: Karta (Subject of implied 'be'/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र विधेय-नाम (the vajra)

• तस्य: of him/that (Vṛtra)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• विनाशकम्: destroyer
• विनाशकम्: Karta (Predicate-nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण = 'destroying'

Speaker

Śakra (Indra) (continuing the appeal to Dadhīci)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dadhīcī-āśrama (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas, led by Indra, directly request Dadhīci’s bones; the scene balances compassion and heroic resolve—an ethical climax where a sage is asked for the ultimate gift.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Dadhīci
• Vajra
• Vṛtra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest giving is selfless offering for the welfare of the many—dharma expressed as ultimate dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited in this verse; it supports the Mahātmya tone by showcasing exemplary sanctity and merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A form of supreme dāna is implied: offering one’s own body (asthi) for a righteous cosmic purpose.