Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

पितरं मेऽद्य तं पार्थमप्यन्या थ पांडवान् । गृहीत्वा केशपाशं यस्त्यक्तशस्त्रशिरोऽहनत्

Transliteration

pitaraṃ me'dya taṃ pārthamapyanyā tha pāṃḍavān | gṛhītvā keśapāśaṃ yastyaktaśastraśiro'hanat

Translation

“วันนี้เราจักฟันปารถะ (อรชุน) ผู้เป็นบิดาของเรา และเหล่าปาณฑพอื่น ๆ ด้วย—ผู้นั้นที่ฉวยปอยผมแล้วสังหารผู้ก้มศีรษะและทอดทิ้งอาวุธไปแล้ว”

Word by Word

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पार्थम्: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; also/indeed)

• अन्याः: others (women/others)
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and)

• पाण्डवान्: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having seized
• गृहीत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having seized)

• केशपाशम्: a lock/tress of hair
• केशपाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (केशानां पाशः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• त्यक्तशस्त्रशिरः: one who had cast away his weapon(s)
• त्यक्तशस्त्रशिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्यक्त (त्यज्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य शस्त्रं त्यक्तं शिरः वा—one who had cast away weapons / with head bowed)

• अहनत्: killed/struck down
• अहनत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā), in narration

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi), eyes blazing with wrath, recalls the humiliating killing of his father Droṇa—hair seized, head bowed, weapon cast aside—vowing vengeance against Arjuna and the Pāṇḍavas.

Characters & Entities

• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Pāṇḍavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vengeance rooted in adharma leads to further sin; Purāṇic narration highlights the moral weight of dishonorable acts in war.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Setukhaṇḍa, associated with Setu/Rāmeśvaram sacred geography, though this verse itself recounts an epic moral episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative and ethical in focus.