Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एवं सैन्यसमोपेत उत्तरं तटमागतः । ताम्रप्राकारमाश्रित्य तस्थौ त्र्यंबकनंदनः

Transliteration

evaṃ sainyasamopeta uttaraṃ taṭamāgataḥ | tāmraprākāramāśritya tasthau tryaṃbakanaṃdanaḥ

Translation

So gelangte er, vom ganzen Heer begleitet, an das nördliche Ufer; am kupfernen Wall Schutz suchend, stand der Sohn Tryambakas standhaft da.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• सैन्यसमोपेतः: accompanied by the army
• सैन्यसमोपेतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सैन्य + समुपेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सैन्येन समुपेतः = accompanied by the army); भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) from √इ (to go) with सम्+उप-; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्तरम्: northern
• उत्तरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — विशेषण (of तटम्)

• तटम्: bank/shore
• तटम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आगतः: having arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) from √गम् with आ-उपसर्ग; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ताम्रप्राकारम्: the copper rampart/wall
• ताम्रप्राकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र + प्राकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (ताम्रः प्राकारः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to/taking shelter at
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) from √श्रि with आ-; अव्ययभाव (indeclinable)

• तस्थौ: stood
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्र्यंबकनंदनः: the son of Tryambaka (Kumāra/Skanda)
• त्र्यंबकनंदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यंबक + नंदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (त्र्यंबकस्य नंदनः = son of Tryambaka), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat (implied taṭa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda’s army reaches a northern riverbank; a gleaming copper-colored rampart rises nearby; Skanda, son of Tryambaka, stands firm taking shelter by the fortification.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambaka (Śiva)
• Tryambaka-nandana (Skanda/Kumāra/Mahāsena)
• Northern bank
• Tāmra-prākāra (copper rampart)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine leader advances with order and resolve—spiritual authority is shown as disciplined, strategic, and protective of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse mentions a ‘northern bank’ and a ‘copper rampart’ (tāmra-prākāra) but does not clearly identify a named tīrtha in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.