Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

नाहं द्रोहं करिष्यामि वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः । ब्रह्मर्षे न च ते युक्तं कर्तुं वै ब्रह्मणो वधम्

Transliteration

nāhaṃ drohaṃ kariṣyāmi vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ | brahmarṣe na ca te yuktaṃ kartuṃ vai brahmaṇo vadham

Translation

"ຂ້ານ້ອຍຈະບໍ່ທໍລະຍົດຕໍ່ ວາສິດຖະ ຜູ້ມີຈິດໃຈປະເສີດ. ຂ້າແດ່ ພຣະພົມມະຣືສີ, ມັນບໍ່ເໝາະສົມສຳລັບທ່ານທີ່ຈະລົງມືຂ້າພຣາມ."

Word by Word

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

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

• द्रोहम्: treachery, harm
• द्रोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: droha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Object of harm—genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• महात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + आत्मन्; ‘वसिष्ठस्य’ इति विशेषण

• ब्रह्मर्षे: O Brahmarṣi
• ब्रह्मर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmarṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः ऋषिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ते: for you/to you
• ते: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (pronoun)

• युक्तम्: proper, fitting
• युक्तम्: Vidhana (Predicate adjective/विधान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘(एतत्)’ इति भाववाचक-कर्तृहीन-वाक्ये

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्मणः: of a Brahmin / of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वधम्: killing, slaying
• वधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nadī (the river)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśvāmitra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The river goddess speaks firmly: she will not betray Vasiṣṭha; she admonishes Viśvāmitra that killing a brāhmaṇa is improper. Her posture shifts from fear to resolute calm.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma forbids treachery and condemns violence toward brāhmaṇas; even power and anger must submit to moral law.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting, but this verse focuses on dharma (conduct) rather than naming a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical injunction within the narrative.