Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । नाहमेनं हनिष्यामि त्यजिष्यामि तथाऽमराः । एनं कचग्रहं कृत्वा धारयिष्यामि सर्वदा

Transliteration

devyuvāca | nāhamenaṃ haniṣyāmi tyajiṣyāmi tathā'marāḥ | enaṃ kacagrahaṃ kṛtvā dhārayiṣyāmi sarvadā

Translation

દેવીએ કહ્યું—હે અમરો! હું એને ન મારીશ, ન ત્યજીશ. વાળ પકડીને એને સદાકાળ માટે વશમાં રાખીશ.

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एनम्: this one / him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हनिष्यामि: will kill
• हनिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्यजिष्यामि: will abandon
• त्यजिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• अमराः: the immortals (gods)
• अमराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• एनम्: this one / him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कचग्रहम्: a hair-grasp (holding by the hair)
• कचग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कचानां ग्रहः = hair-grasp)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• धारयिष्यामि: will hold/keep
• धारयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: always)

Speaker

Devī (Sureśvarī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vindhyavāsinī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Amarāḥ/Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess addresses the assembled Devas, declaring she will neither kill nor abandon the subdued being; she grips him by the hair, holding him in perpetual restraint—an icon of controlled ferocity and guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Amarāḥ (gods)
• Dānava (Bali)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can express itself as compassionate restraint—protecting the world without denying mercy to the surrendered.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Tīrthamāhātmya framework of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but this particular line emphasizes Devī’s decision rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates Devī’s chosen method of containment (kacagraha) rather than prescribing a human ritual.