Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शस्त्रक्षतोऽपि नरकान्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । देवानां मधुधान्यानां सामर्थ्यं भेदनेन हि

Transliteration

śastrakṣato'pi narakānmucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ | devānāṃ madhudhānyānāṃ sāmarthyaṃ bhedanena hi

Translation

ശസ്ത്രാഘാതത്തിൽ പരിക്കേറ്റവനും നരകത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകും—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല. ദേവന്മാർക്ക് മധുവും ധാന്യാദികളും അർപ്പിക്കുന്നതിന്റെ ശക്തി വിധിപ്രകാരം യഥോചിതമായി വിഭജിച്ച് സമർപ്പിക്കുന്നതിലാണു.

Word by Word

• śastrakṣataḥ: wounded by a weapon
• śastrakṣataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣata (कृदन्त; √kṣan/√kṣi? ‘to wound’, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (‘शस्त्रेण क्षतः’/‘शस्त्र-क्षतः’)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: ‘even’)

• narakān: from hells
• narakān: Apadana (Source/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), बहुवचन

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• madhudhānyānām: of honey and grains
• madhudhānyānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + dhānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘मधु च धान्यं च’

• sāmarthyam: power, capability
• sāmarthyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmarthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• bhedanena: by splitting, by breaking
• bhedanena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhedana (प्रातिपदिक; √bhid, ल्युट्/अन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: emphasis/causal)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic/ritual rationale within Tīrthamāhātmya; contrasts physical harm with spiritual consequences and stresses correct offering practice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene at a tīrtha: offerings of honey and grains are presented, then carefully distributed to qualified recipients; a subtle undercurrent of liberation from hell is suggested by a dark netherworld receding behind the donor.

Characters & Entities

• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical injury is not the deepest danger; spiritual misdeeds and ritual negligence are weightier—right offering and right conduct restore auspicious outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it provides general dharma-logic within the tīrtha-glorification chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offerings to the devas—such as honey and grains—should be properly apportioned/distributed according to rule; their ‘power’ depends on correct procedure.