Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

शितधारमिमं खड्गं यस्मै दर्शयसि स्फुटम् । स सद्यो म्रियते शत्रुः साक्षान्मृत्युरपि स्वयम्

Transliteration

śitadhāramimaṃ khaḍgaṃ yasmai darśayasi sphuṭam | sa sadyo mriyate śatruḥ sākṣānmṛtyurapi svayam

Translation

നീ ഈ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള ധാരയുള്ള ഖഡ്ഗം ആര്ക്കെങ്കിലും വ്യക്തമായി കാണിച്ചാൽ, ആ ശത്രു ഉടൻ മരിക്കും—സാക്ഷാൽ മൃത്യു തന്നെയെന്നപോലെ।

Word by Word

• शितधारम्: sharp-edged
• शितधारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित-धार (प्रातिपदिक; शित = तीक्ष्ण, धार = edge)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (adjective)

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• खड्गम्: sword
• खड्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यस्मै: to whom
• यस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दर्शयसि: you show
• दर्शयसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• स्फुटम्: clearly, distinctly
• स्फुटम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शत्रुः: enemy
• शत्रुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘directly/in person’

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb), ‘oneself’

Speaker

Ṛṣabha (yogī-sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, sharp-edged sword is lifted and shown openly; the hostile foe recoils as if struck by the very presence of Death, collapsing instantly. The wielder stands calm yet formidable, haloed by divine sanction.

Characters & Entities

• khaḍga
• mṛtyu (Death)
• śatru (enemy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative magnifies mantra-born śakti: spiritual empowerment is depicted as surpassing ordinary mortal limits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the phala (effect) of an empowered weapon.