Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

एवं ते दानवाः सर्वे कृत्वा मंत्रविनिश्चयम् । मेरुशृंगं ततो जग्मुः सभृत्यबलवाहनः

Transliteration

evaṃ te dānavāḥ sarve kṛtvā maṃtraviniścayam | meruśṛṃgaṃ tato jagmuḥ sabhṛtyabalavāhanaḥ

Translation

So brachen all jene Dānavas, nachdem sie im Rat einen festen Entschluss gefasst hatten, zum Gipfel des Meru auf – zusammen mit ihren Dienern, Armeen und Reittieren.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural (pronoun)

• दानवाः: demons (Dānavas)
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural (agreeing with दानवाः)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund/absolutive: “having done”

• मन्त्र-विनिश्चयम्: a decision about the plan/counsel
• मन्त्र-विनिश्चयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विनिश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रस्य विनिश्चयः)

• मेरु-शृंगम्: the peak of Meru
• मेरु-शृंगम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक) + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मेरोः शृंगम्)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रमवाचक) — indeclinable adverb “then/from there”

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत) प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचनम् — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural

• स-भृत्य-बल-वाहनाः: with attendants, forces, and vehicles
• स-भृत्य-बल-वाहनाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थ ‘सह’) + भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; बहुव्रीहिः (येषां भृत्यं बलं वाहनं च सन्ति ते)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrative voice; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru-śṛṅga

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast Dānava host, after a decisive council, marches upward toward the shining peak of Meru with banners, chariots, elephants, and aerial mounts; the mountain glows like a cosmic pillar amid layered heavens.

Characters & Entities

• Dānava
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts the momentum of collective resolve; Purāṇic dharma warns that counsel without righteousness leads to ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Meru is a cosmic sacred geography marker; however, no bathing-place (tīrtha) is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.