Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

यदर्थं निहतः शुम्भो निशुम्भश्च महासुरः । रावणो दण्डभूपश्च तथान्येऽपि सहस्रशः

Transliteration

yadarthaṃ nihataḥ śumbho niśumbhaśca mahāsuraḥ | rāvaṇo daṇḍabhūpaśca tathānye'pi sahasraśaḥ

Translation

যি উদ্দেশ্যত মহাসুৰ শুম্ভ-নিশুম্ভ বধ হ’ল, আৰু ৰাৱণ তথা দণ্ড ৰজাও দণ্ডিত হ’ল, তেনেদৰে আন হাজাৰ হাজাৰো—সেই একে উদ্দেশ্যৰ শক্তি এই তীৰ্থ-মাহাত্ম্যত ঘোষণা কৰা হৈছে।

Word by Word

• यदर्थम्: for which reason
• यदर्थम्: Sambandha (Purpose/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; हेत्वर्थक अव्यय (for which purpose/wherefore)

• निहतः: was slain
• निहतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (slain)

• शुम्भः: Śumbha
• शुम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निशुम्भः: Niśumbha
• निशुम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• महासुरः: the great demon
• महासुरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + असुर (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् असुरः)

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दण्डभूपः: Daṇḍabhūpa (a king named Daṇḍa/Daṇḍa-king)
• दण्डभूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + भूप (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दण्डस्य भूपः/दण्ड-भूपः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand
• सहस्रशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: by thousands, in thousands)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like narrative: Devī slaying Śumbha and Niśumbha; Rāma confronting Rāvaṇa; a king Daṇḍa being struck down—overlaid as symbolic proof of the proclaimed sacred power of the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Śumbha
• Niśumbha
• Rāvaṇa
• Daṇḍabhūpa (King Daṇḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma, even when powerful and widespread, is ultimately destroyed for the protection of dharma; tīrtha-māhātmya frames this as part of a sacred, purpose-driven cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 144); the specific tīrtha name is not stated in the single-line excerpt and must be confirmed from surrounding verses of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse; it functions as a dharma-centered praise statement within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya.