Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततो गत्वा समुद्रांतं वधाय सुरविद्विषाम् । न शेकुर्विषमस्थांस्तान्मनसापि प्रधर्षितुम्

Transliteration

tato gatvā samudrāṃtaṃ vadhāya suravidviṣām | na śekurviṣamasthāṃstānmanasāpi pradharṣitum

Translation

তাৰ পাছত সুৰবিদ্বেষীসকলক বধ কৰিবলৈ সাগৰৰ কাষলৈ গৈও, কঠিন অৱস্থানত স্থিত সেই শত্রুসকলক তেওঁলোকে মনতেও আক্রমণ কৰিব নোৱাৰিলে।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (thereupon/from there)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• समुद्रान्तम्: to the shore/end of the ocean
• समुद्रान्तम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/कर्म-गति), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (समुद्रस्य अन्तम्)

• वधाय: for the killing
• वधाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case/सम्प्रदान-प्रयोजन), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose)

• सुरविद्विषाम्: of the enemies of the gods
• सुरविद्विषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + विद्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां विद्विषः)

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• शेकुः: were able
• शेकुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• विषमस्थान्: standing in inaccessible/difficult places
• विषमस्थान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (विषमे स्थाः = standing in difficult positions)

• तान्: those (ones)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/करण), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• प्रधर्षितुम्: to assault/overpower
• प्रधर्षितुम्: Karma (Infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √धृष् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), परस्मैपदी-धातु; प्रयोजन/शक्त्यर्थे

Speaker

Narrator (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Samudra-tīra (unnamed ocean-edge tīrtha in this verse)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas arrive at the roaring sea; waves crash against rocks; far-off a dark fortress-like refuge of the Kāleyas; Brahmā and Viṣṇu stand resolute yet momentarily checked by the foe’s position.

Characters & Entities

• samudra (ocean)
• devas
• sura-vidviṣ (enemies of the gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some obstacles require more than force—strategy, divine counsel, and tapas-backed power are implied.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is set at the ocean’s edge (samudrānta); the particular named tīrtha is not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse describes a failed attempt at confrontation, preparing for a later sacred remedy.