Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । नाहमस्त्रं प्रयुंजामि विश्वामित्रवधेच्छया । आत्मरक्षाकृते देव अस्त्रमस्त्रेण शामयन्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | nāhamastraṃ prayuṃjāmi viśvāmitravadhecchayā | ātmarakṣākṛte deva astramastreṇa śāmayan

Translation

വസിഷ്ഠൻ പറഞ്ഞു—‘ഹേ ദേവാ, വിശ്വാമിത്രനെ വധിക്കണമെന്ന ഇച്ഛയോടെ ഞാൻ അസ്ത്രം പ്രയോഗിക്കുന്നില്ല; ആത്മരക്ഷയ്ക്കായി അസ്ത്രത്തെ അസ്ത്രംകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ശമിപ്പിക്കുന്നു।’

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd person singular, active)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (nominative singular; pronoun)

• अस्त्रम्: weapon (missile)
• अस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• प्रयुञ्जामि: I employ, use
• प्रयुञ्जामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 1st person singular, active)

• विश्वामित्रवधेच्छया: with the desire to kill Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रवधेच्छया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (instrumental singular; 'with the desire to kill Viśvāmitra')

• आत्मरक्षाकृते: for self-protection
• आत्मरक्षाकृते: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative singular; 'for the purpose of self-protection')

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन (masculine, vocative singular)

• अस्त्रम्: weapon
• अस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• अस्त्रेण: with a weapon
• अस्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (neuter, instrumental singular)

• शामयन्: pacifying, subduing
• शामयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular); कर्तरि (agentive, agreeing with 'अहम्')

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (addressed as Deva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, calm yet firm, speaks to Brahmā; his hand gestures indicate pacification, while a defensive aura absorbs and quenches incoming astras.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma distinguishes aggression from defense; even in conflict, intention should be restrained and life-protecting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of a narrative embedded within the tīrtha section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse articulates ethical intent (saṃyama) in the use of power.