Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तेन शस्त्रविहीनानां विश्वस्तानां वधः कृतः । संत्यक्ताः शरणं प्राप्ताः पुरुषा भयविह्वलाः

Transliteration

tena śastravihīnānāṃ viśvastānāṃ vadhaḥ kṛtaḥ | saṃtyaktāḥ śaraṇaṃ prāptāḥ puruṣā bhayavihvalāḥ

Translation

Il a perpétré le massacre de personnes désarmées et confiantes ; des hommes, terrifiés et désemparés, ont été abandonnés même après avoir cherché refuge.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शस्त्रविहीनानाम्: of the weaponless
• शस्त्रविहीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त्र + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'devoid of weapons'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विश्वस्तानाम्: of the trusting/unsuspecting
• विश्वस्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वस्त (कृदन्त; √श्वस्/√विश्वस् (धातु) as 'to trust')
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वधः: killing/slaughter
• वधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृतः: done/committed
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• संत्यक्ताः: abandoned/left behind
• संत्यक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+त्यक्त (कृदन्त; √त्यज् (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्ताः: having reached/obtained
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; प्र+√आप् (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुरुषाः: men
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भयविह्वलाः: terrified/agitated by fear
• भयविह्वलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + विह्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (instrumental/causal sense: 'agitated by fear'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: a Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grim courtly scene: armed retainers strike down unarmed supplicants with hands raised in refuge; the king’s face is hard, while sages or citizens look on in horror—foreshadowing karmic retribution.

Characters & Entities

• unarmed people
• refuge-seekers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Betraying trust and harming the unarmed—especially those seeking refuge—is a severe violation of dharma and invites karmic retribution.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a specific tīrtha; it supports the Māhātmya by emphasizing the need for dharmic conduct around sacred spaces.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical condemnation of violence and betrayal.