Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तस्माद्वदतु देवेश मामेष ब्राह्मणं द्रुतम् । निवारयामि येनास्त्रं यदस्योपरि संधितम्

Transliteration

tasmādvadatu deveśa māmeṣa brāhmaṇaṃ drutam | nivārayāmi yenāstraṃ yadasyopari saṃdhitam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഹേ ദേവേശാ, അവൻ വേഗത്തിൽ എന്നെ ‘ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കട്ടെ; അപ്പോൾ അവന്റെ മേൽ ലക്ഷ്യമിട്ട ആയുധം ഞാൻ പിൻവലിക്കും.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-रूप)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (therefore)

• वदतु: let (him/you) say, speak
• वदतु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्राह्मणम्: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Prakāra (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: druta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: शीघ्रार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• निवारयामि: I restrain, I stop
• निवारयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वॄ (धातु) / निवारयति (णिजन्त)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• अस्त्रम्: weapon
• अस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object of participle/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपरि: upon
• उपरि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/postposition: upon/on)

• संधितम्: fixed/aimed/placed
• संधितम्: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + धा (धातु) → saṃdhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (placed/aimed)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Deveśa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra, weapon-mantra poised, demands that the ‘lord of gods’ make Vasiṣṭha call him a brāhmaṇa; the scene is a tense negotiation with cosmic stakes.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Brahmā
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking honor as a condition for peace reveals attachment; dharma urges peace grounded in compassion, not ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of a tīrtha chapter but focuses on the sages’ dispute.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a negotiated condition to cease a divyāstra.