Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

विमुखं खड्गशस्त्रं च तवास्मीति प्रवादिनम् । अपि मे पितृहंतारं न हन्यां रिपुमाहवे

Transliteration

vimukhaṃ khaḍgaśastraṃ ca tavāsmīti pravādinam | api me pitṛhaṃtāraṃ na hanyāṃ ripumāhave

Translation

Walau dia berpaling sambil menghunus pedang dan senjata, namun jika dia berkata, ‘Aku milikmu,’ aku tidak akan membunuh musuh di medan perang—meskipun dia pembunuh ayahku.

Word by Word

• विमुखम्: turned away, averse
• विमुखम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘प्रवादिनम्’/‘दानवम्’ understood)

• खड्गशस्त्रम्: sword and weapon
• खड्गशस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (खड्गं च शस्त्रं च)

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

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Quoted verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• प्रवादिनम्: one who says/declares
• प्रवादिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + वद् (धातु) + णिनि (प्रवादिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; कर्तरि-णिनि (one who speaks)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (emphatic particle)

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (my)

• पितृहन्तारम्: killer of (my) father
• पितृहन्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितुः हन्ता)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• हन्याम्: should kill
• हन्याम्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रिपुम्: enemy
• रिपुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (Sureśvarī), stating her principle to the gods

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield tableau implied: devī with sword and weapons lowered, facing a foe who turns away or bows, uttering 'tavasmi'; the devī’s posture is resolute yet compassionate, emphasizing heroic restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Enemy (ripu)
• Father-slayer (pitṛhantā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge (‘I am yours’) is treated as a sacred bond; dharma protects the surrendered—even amid justified vengeance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it strengthens the māhātmya by highlighting the Goddess’s protective vow-like ethic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the teaching is a dharmic rule about granting protection to one who seeks refuge.