Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

बभाषे देवदेवेशो रुक्मिणं भीष्मकात्मजम् । गच्छ स्वकं पुरं मा भैः कुरु राज्यमकण्टकम्

Transliteration

babhāṣe devadeveśo rukmiṇaṃ bhīṣmakātmajam | gaccha svakaṃ puraṃ mā bhaiḥ kuru rājyamakaṇṭakam

Translation

ദേവദേവേശ്വരനായ ഭഗവാൻ ഭീഷ്മകപുത്രൻ രുക്മനോട് അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— “നിന്റെ നഗരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുക; ഭയപ്പെടരുത്. കണ്ഠകരഹിതമായി, നിർവിഘ്നമായി രാജ്യം ഭരിക്ക.”

Word by Word

• बभाषे: spoke
• बभाषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• देवदेवेशः: the Lord of gods
• देवदेवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘देवानां देवः’ + तत्पुरुषः ‘देवदेवानाम् ईशः’

• रुक्मिणम्: Rukmin
• रुक्मिणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• भीष्मकात्मजम्: son of Bhīṣmaka
• भीष्मकात्मजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्मक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भीष्मकस्य आत्मजः)

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्वकम्: your own
• स्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (puraṃ इति)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• भैः: be afraid
• भैः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative) निषेधार्थे ‘मा’ सह, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (भैः)

• कुरु: make / do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• अकण्टकम्: free of thorns/obstacles
• अकण्टकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थक-विशेषणम् (राज्यम् इति)

Speaker

Deva-deveśa (Keśava/Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa, serene and authoritative, addresses Rukma with a raised hand of reassurance; attendants and a courtly setting suggest restoration after conflict; Rukma stands humbled yet relieved.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava/Viṣṇu (Deva-deveśa)
• Rukma
• Bhīṣmaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine forgiveness restores social order—after repentance, one is directed back to righteous duty (rājadharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a directive about governance and fearlessness under divine protection.