Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । तस्य शक्र वधोपायो मया ज्ञातोऽधुना ध्रुवम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा कुरु शीघ्रं त्वमुपायो नास्ति कश्चन

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | tasya śakra vadhopāyo mayā jñāto'dhunā dhruvam | tacchrutvā kuru śīghraṃ tvamupāyo nāsti kaścana

Translation

বিষ্ণু বললেন—হে শক্র! তার বধের উপায় আমি এখন নিশ্চিতভাবে জেনেছি। তা শুনে তুমি শীঘ্রই কার্য কর; অন্য কোনো উপায় নেই।

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him (Vṛtra)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन (of him/that)

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• वधोपायः: the means of slaying
• वधोपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वधस्य उपायः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental: by me)

• ज्ञातः: known
• ज्ञातः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (known/ascertained)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (now)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग; निश्चयार्थक (certainly)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (that/it)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (having heard)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग; क्रियाविशेषण (quickly)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उपायः: means/way
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कश्चन: any (at all)
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-पूर्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चित/अन्यतरार्थक (anyone/any)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma becomes entrenched, decisive right action guided by divine wisdom is presented as the sure remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya flow; this particular line is narrative counsel rather than direct praise of a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.