Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । कुरु गर्वं क्षणं मूढ मधु यावत्पिबाम्यहम् । निवृत्तमधुपानाहं त्वां नयिष्ये यमक्षयम्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | kuru garvaṃ kṣaṇaṃ mūḍha madhu yāvatpibāmyaham | nivṛttamadhupānāhaṃ tvāṃ nayiṣye yamakṣayam

Translation

พระเทวีตรัสว่า “เจ้าคนเขลา จงโอหังไปชั่วขณะเถิด ตราบใดที่เรายังเสวยมธุนี้ เมื่อเราวางมธุแล้ว เราจักนำเจ้าไปสู่ธามแห่งยม—คือความพินาศของเจ้า”

Word by Word

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुरु: do; make
• कुरु: Kriyā (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गर्वम्: pride; arrogance
• गर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कालपरिमाण/accusative of duration)

• मूढ: O fool
• मूढ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; from मुह् धातु → मूढ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मधु: mead; honey-drink
• मधु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यावत्: until; as long as
• यावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/परिमाण-निपात): ‘यावद्…तावत्’ sense; here ‘until/so long as’

• पिबामि: I drink
• पिबामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निवृत्त: ceased; ended
• निवृत्त: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Condition/अवस्था)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-वृत् (धातु) → निवृत्त (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (qualifying ‘अहम्’ via predicate sense: ‘when (my) drinking has ceased’)

• मधुपानात्: from drinking mead
• मधुपानात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुपान (प्रातिपदिक: मधु + पान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नयिष्ये: I shall lead
• नयिष्ये: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यमक्षयम्: to Yama’s abode; to death
• यमक्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गन्तव्य-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमक्षय (प्रातिपदिक: यम + क्षय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यमस्य क्षयः’ (abode/realm of Yama)

Speaker

Devī (Bhadrakālī / Durgā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / tīrtha audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī addresses Mahīṣāsura with a fearless taunt while holding the mead-cup; her posture relaxed yet sovereign, signaling certain victory and Yama-bound doom for the asura.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Yama
• Mahīṣāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride is momentary, but divine justice is certain; adharma is granted a brief leash before being brought to its ordained end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Setukhaṇḍa, the Setu region is the sacred frame; the verse underscores the protective power associated with the Setu tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse is a direct speech asserting the inevitability of the asura’s punishment.