Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

तस्माद्धर्म्मपरो भूत्वा युध्यस्व गतकल्मषः । भ्रातृहा त्वं ममैवेंद्र तस्मात्त्वा घातयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

tasmāddharmmaparo bhūtvā yudhyasva gatakalmaṣaḥ | bhrātṛhā tvaṃ mamaiveṃdra tasmāttvā ghātayāmyaham

Translation

ฉะนั้นจงตั้งมั่นในธรรมะ แล้วรบโดยสลัดมลทินบาปออกเสีย โอ้พระอินทร์ ท่านคือผู้ฆ่าน้องชายของเรา เพราะเหตุนั้นเราจักประหารท่าน

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• धर्मपरः: devoted to dharma
• धर्मपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (त्वम्) इति विशेषण; समासः—धर्मे परः (devoted to dharma)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल

• युध्यस्व: fight
• युध्यस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गतकल्मषः: free from sin
• गतकल्मषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (त्वम्) इति विशेषण; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्मात् कल्मषं गतं सः (one whose sin has gone)

• भ्रातृहा: slayer of (your) brother
• भ्रातृहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु) → हन्/हा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (त्वम्) इति विधेय; समासः—भ्रातॄन् हन्ति इति (brother-slayer)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• इन्द्र: O Indra
• इन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (enclitic form)

• घातयामि: I will cause to be slain / I will slay
• घातयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) (णिच् causative: घातय)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vṛtra (addressing Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (narrative setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛtra demands Indra fight as a dharmic warrior after shedding sin, then declares his own intent to kill Indra for slaying his brother—mixing moral injunction with fierce vengeance.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛtra
• Indra (Śakra)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even conflict is to be framed under dharma—one must act with moral clarity rather than mere rage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra/Kedārnātha sacred region) though the line itself is part of the Vṛtra–Indra episode rather than a direct tīrtha-phalāśruti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed in this verse.