Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

अन्येन शस्त्रेण च आहतोऽसौ वध्यः कदाचिन्न भवत्ययं तु । तस्माच्च देवेश वधार्थमस्य कुरु प्रयत्नं नमुचेर्दुरात्मनः

Transliteration

anyena śastreṇa ca āhato'sau vadhyaḥ kadācinna bhavatyayaṃ tu | tasmācca deveśa vadhārthamasya kuru prayatnaṃ namucerdurātmanaḥ

Translation

“മറ്റേതെങ്കിലും ആയുധം കൊണ്ട് അടിച്ചാൽ അവൻ ഒരിക്കലും വധിക്കപ്പെടുകയില്ല. അതിനാൽ, ഹേ ദേവേശാ! ആ ദുരാത്മാവ് നമുചിയുടെ വധത്തിനായി പ്രത്യേകമായി പരിശ്രമിക്കൂ.”

Word by Word

• अन्येन: by another
• अन्येन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (instr. sg.)

• शस्त्रेण: with a weapon
• शस्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आहतः: struck
• आहतः: Kartā (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-hata (प्रातिपदिक; हन् धातोः क्त, आ-उपसर्ग)
• Form: कृदन्त (हन् धातोः क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (nom. sg.)

• वध्यः: killable / to be slain
• वध्यः: Kartā (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vadhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• कदाचित्: ever / at any time
• कदाचित्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (indefinite temporal adverb)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• भवति: becomes / is
• भवति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. pres.)

• अयम्: this one
• अयम्: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (nom. sg.)

• तु: but
• तु: Virodha (Contrast marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (adversative particle)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः; अपादानार्थे (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवेश: O lord of the gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-īśa (प्रातिपदिक; देव + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः) (voc. sg.)

• वधार्थम्: for the killing
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadha-artha (प्रातिपदिक; वध + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वधस्य अर्थः = हेतु/प्रयोजनम्) (acc. sg.)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (gen. sg.)

• कुरु: do / make
• कुरु: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन (2nd sg. impv.)

• प्रयत्नम्: effort
• प्रयत्नम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• नमुचेः: of Namuci
• नमुचेः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• दुरात्मनः: of the evil-souled (one)
• दुरात्मनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-ātman (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दुष्ट आत्मा यस्य) (gen. sg.)

Speaker

Ākāśavāṇī (divine voice) addressing Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The celestial voice emphasizes: no other weapon can kill Namuci; therefore Indra must exert himself with the specific method—turning indecision into focused resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Deveśa)
• Namuci

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may appear unassailable due to protections and loopholes; perseverance guided by divine wisdom restores balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named holy site is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.