Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । विश्वामित्र द्विजश्रेष्ठ त्यक्त्वा दिव्यास्त्रसंभवम् । कुरु युद्धं वसिष्ठेन नो चेच्छप्स्यामहं च ते

Transliteration

brahmovāca | viśvāmitra dvijaśreṣṭha tyaktvā divyāstrasaṃbhavam | kuru yuddhaṃ vasiṣṭhena no cecchapsyāmahaṃ ca te

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മാവ് അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ വിശ്വാമിത്രാ, ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! ദിവ്യാസ്ത്രങ്ങളുടെ ആശ്രയം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് വസിഷ്ഠനോടു യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യുക; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഞാനും നിന്നെ ശപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विश्वामित्र: O Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्र: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• दिव्यास्त्रसंभवम्: the source/collection of divine weapons
• दिव्यास्त्रसंभवम्: Karma (Object of त्यक्त्वा/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दिव्यानि अस्त्राणि तेषां संभवः)

• कुरु: do, undertake
• कुरु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वसिष्ठेन: with Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठेन: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• शप्स्यामि: I will curse
• शप्स्यामि: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

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

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśvāmitra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā addresses Viśvāmitra as ‘best of twice-born,’ ordering him to abandon celestial weapons and fight Vasiṣṭha directly; the warning of a curse hangs in the air.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in conflict, restraint and adherence to dharma are enforced; unchecked power (divyāstras) is censured.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This dialogue unfolds within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative environment, associated with the Sarasvatī riverbank in nearby verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is an ethical injunction regarding the use of divine weapons and the conduct of battle.