Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । नेदं वीरव्रतं दैत्य यच्छत्रुकरपीडनात् । प्रोच्यन्ते सामवाक्यानि विशेषाद्दैत्यजन्मना

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | nedaṃ vīravrataṃ daitya yacchatrukarapīḍanāt | procyante sāmavākyāni viśeṣāddaityajanmanā

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: “O Daitya, this is not the vow of a hero—to speak conciliatory words merely because the enemy’s hand oppresses you—especially when you are born of the Daityas.”

Word by Word

• śrī-bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• śrī-bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् भगवान्)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (object)

• vīra-vratam: heroic vow
• vīra-vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (वीरस्य/वीराणां व्रतम्)

• daitya: O Daitya
• daitya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• śatru-kara-pīḍanāt: from tormenting the enemy's hand(s)
• śatru-kara-pīḍanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक) + pīḍana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (शत्रोः करस्य पीडनम्)

• procyante: are uttered
• procyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: are spoken)

• sāma-vākyāni: conciliatory words
• sāma-vākyāni: Karta (Grammatical subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāma (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (साम्नः वाक्यानि)

• viśeṣāt: especially
• viśeṣāt: Kriya-vishesana/Hetu (Adverbial cause/क्रियाविशेषण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; विशेषार्थे (especially)

• daitya-janmanā: by (your) Daitya birth
• daitya-janmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (दैत्यस्य जन्म)

Speaker

Śiva (Śrī Bhagavān)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Andhaka (Daitya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks with firm compassion—raised hand in instruction (abhaya/śikṣā gesture), eyes steady; Andhaka remains impaled on the trident tip, listening; the contrast between Śiva’s calm authority and Andhaka’s constrained state is central.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Andhaka
• Daitya/Daitya lineage

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values integrity: spiritual speech should arise from genuine realization, not merely from fear or compulsion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is ethical instruction within a sacred-narrative setting of the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a teaching on conduct (vrata/ethos), not a rite.