Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच । एते तव सुता देवि च्छिद्यमाना मयासिना । रुदन्तो वारिता मन्दं मा रुदन्तु मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | ete tava sutā devi cchidyamānā mayāsinā | rudanto vāritā mandaṃ mā rudantu muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

ศักระตรัสว่า: โอ้เทวี บุตรของท่านเหล่านี้—แม้ถูกดาบของข้าฟัน—ก็ร่ำไห้ ข้าได้ห้ามไว้ด้วยความอ่อนโยน ขออย่าให้พวกเขาร่ำไห้ซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าอีกเลย

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सुताः: sons
• सुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• च्छिद्यमानाः: being cut
• च्छिद्यमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/कर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि (being cut)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• असिना: with a sword
• असिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• रुदन्तः: crying
• रुदन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वारिताः: were stopped/restrained
• वारिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वार् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि (were restrained)

• मन्दम्: gently/slowly
• मन्दम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative): ‘slowly/gently’

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• रुदन्तु: let them cry
• रुदन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरावृत्तिबोधक (again and again)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरावृत्तिबोधक; यमक-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Śakra (Indra)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Diti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, contrite, gestures toward many infant forms who are crying; attendants gently soothe them. Diti watches, torn between anger and maternal concern, as Indra petitions that they never weep again.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra
• Indra
• Diti
• Maruts (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion and reconciliation are sought even after wrongdoing; harm is not celebrated—peace and restraint are.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is in a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter (Nāgarakhaṇḍa 22); the tīrtha is not named in this śloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a boon-oriented request within the narrative.