Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

विमुखं खड्गशस्त्रं च तवास्मीति प्रवादिनम् । अपि मे पितृहंतारं न हन्यां रिपुमाहवे

Transliteration

vimukhaṃ khaḍgaśastraṃ ca tavāsmīti pravādinam | api me pitṛhaṃtāraṃ na hanyāṃ ripumāhave

Translation

แม้เขาจะหันหลังให้คมดาบและอาวุธ แล้วกล่าวว่า ‘ข้าพเจ้าเป็นของท่าน’ ข้าพเจ้าก็มิอาจฆ่าศัตรูในสนามรบได้ แม้เขาจะเป็นผู้สังหารบิดาของข้าพเจ้าก็ตาม

Word by Word

• विमुखम्: turned away, averse
• विमुखम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘प्रवादिनम्’/‘दानवम्’ understood)

• खड्गशस्त्रम्: sword and weapon
• खड्गशस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (खड्गं च शस्त्रं च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Quoted verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• प्रवादिनम्: one who says/declares
• प्रवादिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + वद् (धातु) + णिनि (प्रवादिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; कर्तरि-णिनि (one who speaks)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (emphatic particle)

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (my)

• पितृहन्तारम्: killer of (my) father
• पितृहन्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितुः हन्ता)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• हन्याम्: should kill
• हन्याम्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रिपुम्: enemy
• रिपुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (Sureśvarī), stating her principle to the gods

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield tableau implied: devī with sword and weapons lowered, facing a foe who turns away or bows, uttering 'tavasmi'; the devī’s posture is resolute yet compassionate, emphasizing heroic restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Enemy (ripu)
• Father-slayer (pitṛhantā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge (‘I am yours’) is treated as a sacred bond; dharma protects the surrendered—even amid justified vengeance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it strengthens the māhātmya by highlighting the Goddess’s protective vow-like ethic.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the teaching is a dharmic rule about granting protection to one who seeks refuge.