Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अयं मम विनाशाय केवलं चास्त्रमोक्षणम् । कुरुते निर्दयो ब्रह्मंस्तं निवारय सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

ayaṃ mama vināśāya kevalaṃ cāstramokṣaṇam | kurute nirdayo brahmaṃstaṃ nivāraya sāṃpratam

Translation

अयं निर्दयो मम विनाशाय केवलम् अस्त्रमोक्षणं करोति। ब्रह्मन्, एनं सांप्रतम् एव निवारय॥

Word by Word

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मम: my / of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• विनाशाय: for destruction
• विनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vināśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• केवलम्: only, merely
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

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

• अस्त्रमोक्षणम्: release/discharge of a weapon
• अस्त्रमोक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (astra-sya mokṣaṇam = releasing of a weapon)

• कुरुते: does, performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• निर्दयः: merciless
• निर्दयः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (O Brahmā)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निवारय: restrain, stop
• निवारय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वॄ (धातु) / निवारयति (णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); causative sense (cause to stop)

• सांप्रतम्: now, at present
• सांप्रतम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A threatened sage or divine figure appeals urgently to Brahmā as celestial weapons blaze in the sky, suggesting impending annihilation unless checked.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When violence becomes purely destructive, seeking higher adjudication and restraint is itself dharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it continues the episode within the tīrtha chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a plea for immediate cessation of harm.