Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

त्वया यो निहतोऽस्माकं ज्येष्ठो भ्राता सुदुर्मते । वसिष्ठस्य बलाद्यज्ञे तस्याद्य फलमाप्नुहि

Transliteration

tvayā yo nihato'smākaṃ jyeṣṭho bhrātā sudurmate | vasiṣṭhasya balādyajñe tasyādya phalamāpnuhi

Translation

เจ้าผู้มีจิตใจชั่วช้า เจ้าได้สังหารพี่ชายคนโตของเราด้วยพลังของพระวสิษฐะในพิธีบูชา บัดนี้ จงรับผลแห่งการกระทำนั้นเถิด!

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: कर्ता (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• निहतः: was slain
• निहतः: क्रिया (Predicate in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ज्येष्ठः: eldest
• ज्येष्ठः: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier of भ्राता)

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: कर्ता (Apposition to यः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुदुर्मते: O very wicked-minded one
• सुदुर्मते: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु+दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (compound) सु-दुर्मति (very evil-minded); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• बलात्: by/through the power
• बलात्: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of that (deed) / its
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: कर्म (Object of आप्नुहि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आप्नुहि: attain/receive
• आप्नुहि: क्रिया (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Active)

Speaker

Rākṣasa (the antagonist addressing the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rākṣasa points accusingly at the king, invoking the slain elder brother and Vasiṣṭha’s sacrificial power; the air seems charged with ritual fire-memory and wrath.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• yajña
• bhrātṛ (elder brother)
• rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions done in the sphere of yajña and under a sage’s power still carry consequences; karma-phala is inescapable in Purāṇic ethics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified; the verse references a yajña context and sage Vasiṣṭha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; yajña is referenced as the setting where a past killing occurred.