Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यद्येतद्व्यत्ययं कुर्यां भस्मीभूयां ततः क्षणम् । एवं ब्रुवाणां तां वीरो निगृह्य शपथैर्दृढम्

Transliteration

yadyetadvyatyayaṃ kuryāṃ bhasmībhūyāṃ tataḥ kṣaṇam | evaṃ bruvāṇāṃ tāṃ vīro nigṛhya śapathairdṛḍham

Translation

ഞാൻ ഇതിൽ വ്യത്യയം വരുത്തിയാൽ, ആ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ ഭസ്മമായിപ്പോകട്ടെ. ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ അവളെ ആ വീരൻ ദൃഢമായ ശപഥങ്ങളാൽ ബന്ധിച്ച് കർശനമായി തടഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्यत्ययम्: violation, transgression
• व्यत्ययम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुर्याम्: I should do / were I to commit
• कुर्याम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करणे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञार्थ), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भस्मीभूयाम्: I should become ashes
• भस्मीभूयाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भस्मीभू (भस्मी-√भू; कृदन्त/धातुसमास-आधारित)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; धातुः √भू (भवने) सह उपसर्ग/नामधातु-भाव (भस्मीभू = भस्मत्वं गच्छति)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ततः = तदनन्तरम्

• क्षणम्: for a moment / instantly
• क्षणम्: Adhikarana (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (अव्ययीभावार्थे)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• ब्रुवाणाम्: (her) speaking
• ब्रुवाणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (वचने)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ब्रुवाणा (speaking)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वीरः: the hero
• वीरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निगृह्य: having restrained / having held back
• निगृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √ग्रह् (ग्रहणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) absolutive; पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having restrained)

• शपथैः: by oaths
• शपथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• दृढम्: firmly
• दृढम्: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (firmly)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense moment: the speaker declares, ‘If I violate this, may I become ashes instantly.’ The hero intervenes, restraining and binding the promise with firm oaths—dramatic yet ethically focused.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows are sacred; breaking them is portrayed as spiritually catastrophic, while firm discipline supports genuine reform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The taking of śapatha (solemn oaths) is emphasized as a binding moral commitment.