Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एतत्खङ्गं गृहीत्वाशु मां प्रभो विनिपातय । येन ते स्यादृतं वाक्यं प्रतिज्ञातं च यत्पुरा

Transliteration

etatkhaṅgaṃ gṛhītvāśu māṃ prabho vinipātaya | yena te syādṛtaṃ vākyaṃ pratijñātaṃ ca yatpurā

Translation

“പ്രഭോ! ഈ വാൾ എടുത്ത് ഉടൻ എന്നെ വധിക്കണമേ; അങ്ങനെ നിങ്ങളുടെ വാക്ക് സത്യമായി നിലനിൽക്കും, പൂർവ്വം ചെയ്ത പ്രതിജ്ഞയും പൂർത്തിയാകും.”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (खङ्गम् इति विशेष्य)

• खङ्गम्: sword
• खङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive): ‘having taken/held’

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: शीघ्रार्थक अव्यय (quickly)

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

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• विनिपातय: strike down / kill
• विनिपातय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + वि + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage: ‘cause to fall/strike down’

• येन: by which/so that
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (‘by which/so that’)

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) एकवचन (enclitic); ‘of you/your’

• स्यात्: may be / would become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ऋतम्: true
• ऋतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (वाक्यम् इति विशेष्य)

• वाक्यम्: statement/word
• वाक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + प्रति (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘promised’ (वाक्यम् इति विशेषणभाव)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (‘which’)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (formerly/before)

Speaker

Lakṣmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmaṇa offers the sword to Rāma, urging him to strike; his face is steady yet sorrow-tinged, embodying heroic renunciation.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• Khaṅga (sword)
• Pratijñā (vow/promise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Upholding truth and vows is treated as sacred—even when it demands personal loss and sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains embedded in the Tīrthamāhātmya sacred setting; the site-context frames the ethical gravity of vow-keeping.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed; the verse emphasizes dharmic obligation to keep one’s pledged word (pratijñā).