Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

अमात्येन समानीतं शत्रुं सामंतमुद्धतम् । दृष्ट्वा क्रोधेन नृपतिः शिरच्छेदमकारयत्

Transliteration

amātyena samānītaṃ śatruṃ sāmaṃtamuddhatam | dṛṣṭvā krodhena nṛpatiḥ śiracchedamakārayat

Translation

മന്ത്രിയാൽ കൊണ്ടുവന്ന അഹങ്കാരിയായ ശത്രുസാമന്തനെ കണ്ട രാജാവ് ക്രോധത്തോടെ അവന്റെ ശിരഛേദം നടത്താൻ കല്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अमात्येन: by the minister
• अमात्येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• समानीतम्: brought
• समानीतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; शत्रुम् विशेषयति

• शत्रुम्: enemy
• शत्रुम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• सामन्तम्: feudatory
• सामन्तम्: Karma (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; शत्रुम् विशेषयति

• उद्धतम्: arrogant, insolent
• उद्धतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्धत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सामन्तम्/शत्रुम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• क्रोधेन: with anger
• क्रोधेन: Hetu/Kāraṇa (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• शिरच्छेदम्: beheading, cutting off the head
• शिरच्छेदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् + छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘शिरसः छेदः’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• अकारयत्: caused (it) to be done / ordered
• अकारयत्: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच् (causative) ‘कारयति’

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, eyes blazing, gestures for execution as the arrogant feudatory stands defiant; guards draw swords, the minister stands aside, the court freezes in shock.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilya
• King (Nṛpati)
• Minister (Amātya)
• Sāmanta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anger-driven action, especially during sacred observance, is shown as a seed for adverse karmic results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is ethical causality within a royal narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse highlights a breach of inner discipline (self-control) amid religious context.