Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्या ददौ वज्रमायुधं त्रिदशाधिपः । शक्तिं स्कन्दः सुतीक्ष्णाग्रां चापं देवो जनार्दनः

Transliteration

tatastasyā dadau vajramāyudhaṃ tridaśādhipaḥ | śaktiṃ skandaḥ sutīkṣṇāgrāṃ cāpaṃ devo janārdanaḥ

Translation

ثم إنّ سيّد الثلاثين (إندرا) منحها الفَجْرَةَ (vajra) سلاحًا؛ وأعطاها سْكَنْدَا «شَكْتي» رمحًا شديد الحدّة؛ ومنحها الإله جاناردانا قوسًا.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• tasyāḥ: to her / of her
• tasyāḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु) परस्मैपद
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• vajram: thunderbolt
• vajram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• āyudham: weapon
• āyudham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; उपपद-विशेष्य (appositional)

• tridaśa-adhipaḥ: lord of the thirty (gods)
• tridaśa-adhipaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tridaśānām adhipaḥ)

• śaktim: spear/śakti-weapon
• śaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• skandaḥ: Skanda
• skandaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• su-tīkṣṇa-agrām: having a very sharp tip
• su-tīkṣṇa-agrām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + tīkṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with śaktim); कर्मधारयः (su-tīkṣṇam agraṃ yasyāḥ)

• cāpam: bow
• cāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• janārdanaḥ: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• janārdanaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम (Viṣṇu)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kātyāyanī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal investiture: Indra presents the vajra; Skanda offers a razor-tipped spear; Janārdana hands a bow—Devī stands poised, receiving each with calm authority, surrounded by celestial witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Skanda
• Janārdana
• Kātyāyanī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is protected through unified divine support; power is consecrated as service, not domination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; this is part of the Māhātmya’s mythic charter for divine protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on divine empowerment rather than a human rite.