Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

वज्रस्य दिग्धशस्त्रस्य कालकूटस्य चाप्युत । समेन वचसा तुल्यं मृत्योरिति ममाभवत्

Transliteration

vajrasya digdhaśastrasya kālakūṭasya cāpyuta | samena vacasā tulyaṃ mṛtyoriti mamābhavat

Translation

在我看来，死亡本身与巧言令色并无二致——就像雷电，像涂毒的武器，像致命的卡拉库塔毒药。

Word by Word

• वज्रस्य: of the thunderbolt
• वज्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिग्धशस्त्रस्य: of the smeared/poisoned weapon
• दिग्धशस्त्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिग्ध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (दिग्धं शस्त्रम्)

• कालकूटस्य: of Kālakūṭa poison
• कालकूटस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (particle: also/even)

• उत: indeed/and
• उत: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; often emphatic/and also)

• समेन: with equal (measure)
• समेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• वचसा: with speech/words
• वचसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• तुल्यम्: equal, comparable
• तुल्यम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मृत्योः: of death
• मृत्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• मम: of me, to me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभवत्: was, occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Saṃvarta (contextual; Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker with honeyed lips offers words that visually transform into a thunderbolt, a poisoned blade, and a dark-blue Kālakūṭa cloud; the listener recoils as if facing Death personified behind the speech.

Characters & Entities

• Kālakūṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not only harsh words but also deceptively pleasant speech can be lethal when used to harm or mislead.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse is an ethical metaphor about speech and deception.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the implied practice is satya (truthfulness) and non-manipulative speech.