Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अस्माभिर्विहिता तत्र पांसुवृष्टिर्महीपते । नीयते शतधाऽन्यत्र मातृमुक्तेन वायुना

Transliteration

asmābhirvihitā tatra pāṃsuvṛṣṭirmahīpate | nīyate śatadhā'nyatra mātṛmuktena vāyunā

Translation

O König, der dort von uns ausgelöste Staubregen wird vom Wind, den die göttlichen Mütter (Mātṛ) freigesetzt haben, in hundert Richtungen anderswohin getragen.

Word by Word

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• विहिता: arranged / produced
• विहिता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु) → विहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (there)

• पांसु-वृष्टिः: a shower of dust
• पांसु-वृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक) + वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पांसोः वृष्टिः’ = rain of dust)

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (vocative)

• नीयते: is carried away
• नीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• शतधा: into a hundred parts / manifold
• शतधा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (in a hundred ways / into hundreds)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (elsewhere)

• मातृ-मुक्तेन: released by the Mother
• मातृ-मुक्तेन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त; √मुच्)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (‘मातृया मुक्तः’ = released by the Mother)

• वायुना: by the wind
• वायुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Pretagaṇa/Bhūtas (reporting to King Kuśa; collective speech implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual of dust-clouds being split and scattered into many directions by powerful wind-streams emanating from an unseen circle of Mātṛs; the king is shown listening to the report.

Characters & Entities

• King Kuśa
• Mātṛgaṇa
• Vāyu (wind)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power actively protects tīrthas—negative actions are dispersed and rendered ineffective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha where dust-rain is attempted and divinely dispersed; the verse does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it reports the effect of the Mātṛs’ protective wind.