Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अहं निमिः कालनेमे सुतं मत्वा वधस्व मा । भवता मोहितेनाजौ देवान्मत्वासुराः स्वकाः

Transliteration

ahaṃ nimiḥ kālaneme sutaṃ matvā vadhasva mā | bhavatā mohitenājau devānmatvāsurāḥ svakāḥ

Translation

ഞാൻ നിമിയാണ്, ഹേ കാലനേമി; എന്നെ നിന്റെ പുത്രനെന്ന് കരുതി എന്നെ വധിക്കരുത്. യുദ്ധത്തിൽ മോഹിതനായ നീ ദേവന്മാരെയേയും സ്വന്തം അസുരന്മാരെന്ന് തെറ്റിദ്ധരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• निमिः: Nimi
• निमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अहम् इत्यस्य अपपद-सम्बन्ध (apposition)

• कालनेमे: O Kālanemi
• कालनेमे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालनेमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सुतम्: (your) son
• सुतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः

• वधस्व: kill (me)
• वधस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• मा: me
• मा: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• मोहितेन: deluded
• मोहितेन: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मोहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying भवता)

• अजौ: in battle
• अजौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; युद्धार्थे अधिकरणम्

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः

• असुराः: asuras, demons
• असुराः: Karman (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्वकाः: your own
• स्वकाः: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying असुराः)

Speaker

Nimi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nimi, holding Kālanemi subdued, speaks calmly: ‘I am Nimi—do not kill me’; the battlefield noise recedes as clarity pierces rage; gods and asuras stand in tense recognition.

Characters & Entities

• Nimi
• Kālanemi
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Delusion (moha) distorts discernment; dharma requires clarity about who is to be protected and who is to be opposed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it focuses on mistaken identity and delusion in combat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a direct speech within the narrative.