Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । युद्धहताश्च ये वीरा ह्यसुरा रणमण्डले । तेषामनु कथं कर्ता भीतानां च विहिंसनम्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | yuddhahatāśca ye vīrā hyasurā raṇamaṇḍale | teṣāmanu kathaṃ kartā bhītānāṃ ca vihiṃsanam

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—‘രണഭൂമിയിൽ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ വീണ വീര അസുരന്മാർ കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടും, ഭീതരായവരോടു ഹിംസ ചെയ്യുന്നത് എങ്ങനെ യുക്തം?’

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• युद्धहताः: slain in battle
• युद्धहताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्ध-हत (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: युद्ध + हत (√हन्, क्त))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (युद्धे हताः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वीराः: heroes
• वीराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• असुराः: Asuras
• असुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• रणमण्डले: in the battlefield arena
• रणमण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण-मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: रण + मण्डल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रणस्य मण्डलम्)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनु: after/following
• अनु: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb: after, following)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-viseshana (Interrogative modifier/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• कर्ता: doer/agent
• कर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भीतानाम्: of the frightened
• भीतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (√भी धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• विहिंसनम्: harming/violence
• विहिंसनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहिंसन (√हिंस् धातु, वि-उपसर्ग; ल्युट्/अन-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (act of harming)

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Śacīpati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada speaks on the battlefield, gesturing toward fallen heroes and trembling survivors; his calm authority contrasts with the victor’s heated posture.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Asuras
• Indra (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma forbids cruelty toward the terrified and defeated; valor is proven by restraint, not by revenge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as dharma-upadeśa within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.