Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

स्त्रियं वा ब्राह्मणं वापि तस्मान्नैव प्रकोपयेत् । निघ्नंतं वा शपंतं वा यदीच्छेच्छुभमात्मनः

Transliteration

striyaṃ vā brāhmaṇaṃ vāpi tasmānnaiva prakopayet | nighnaṃtaṃ vā śapaṃtaṃ vā yadīcchecchubhamātmanaḥ

Translation

“Portanto, jamais se deve provocar uma mulher ou um brāhmaṇa. Ainda que batam ou amaldiçoem, quem deseja o próprio bem não deve inflamar a sua ira.”

Word by Word

• striyam: a woman
• striyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• brāhmaṇam: a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (even/also)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (ablative: 'therefore/from that')

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: 'indeed/just')

• prakopayet: should provoke / enrage
• prakopayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kup (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nighnantam: one who is striking/killing
• nighnantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (one who is killing)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• śapantam: one who is cursing
• śapantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śap (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (one who is cursing)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• icchet: should desire
• icchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śubham: good / welfare
• śubham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Beneficiary/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; स्वार्थे (genitive: 'for oneself/of oneself')

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhīṣma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim restrains himself while a woman or brāhmaṇa, angered, raises a hand or utters a curse; the central message is self-control and stepping back from escalation.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brāhmaṇa
• Strī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious living is protected by restraint: avoid provoking those whose harm leads to severe moral and karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is a behavioral injunction (ācāra-dharma).