Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शस्त्रक्षतोऽपि नरकान्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । देवानां मधुधान्यानां सामर्थ्यं भेदनेन हि

Transliteration

śastrakṣato'pi narakānmucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ | devānāṃ madhudhānyānāṃ sāmarthyaṃ bhedanena hi

Translation

ہتھیاروں کے زخم سے گھائل انسان بھی دوزخ سے چھوٹ سکتا ہے—اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔ کیونکہ دیوتاؤں کے لیے شہد اور اناج وغیرہ کی نذر و نیاز کی تاثیر دراصل شاستری طریقے کے مطابق درست تقسیم و ادائیگی میں ہے۔

Word by Word

• śastrakṣataḥ: wounded by a weapon
• śastrakṣataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣata (कृदन्त; √kṣan/√kṣi? ‘to wound’, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (‘शस्त्रेण क्षतः’/‘शस्त्र-क्षतः’)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: ‘even’)

• narakān: from hells
• narakān: Apadana (Source/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), बहुवचन

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• madhudhānyānām: of honey and grains
• madhudhānyānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + dhānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘मधु च धान्यं च’

• sāmarthyam: power, capability
• sāmarthyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmarthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• bhedanena: by splitting, by breaking
• bhedanena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhedana (प्रातिपदिक; √bhid, ल्युट्/अन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: emphasis/causal)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic/ritual rationale within Tīrthamāhātmya; contrasts physical harm with spiritual consequences and stresses correct offering practice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene at a tīrtha: offerings of honey and grains are presented, then carefully distributed to qualified recipients; a subtle undercurrent of liberation from hell is suggested by a dark netherworld receding behind the donor.

Characters & Entities

• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical injury is not the deepest danger; spiritual misdeeds and ritual negligence are weightier—right offering and right conduct restore auspicious outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it provides general dharma-logic within the tīrtha-glorification chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offerings to the devas—such as honey and grains—should be properly apportioned/distributed according to rule; their ‘power’ depends on correct procedure.