Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

ततस्तु दानवाः सर्वे युद्धान्निर्वृत्य सर्वतः । मेरुशृंगं समाश्रित्य रम्यं वासं प्रचक्रमुः

Transliteration

tatastu dānavāḥ sarve yuddhānnirvṛtya sarvataḥ | meruśṛṃgaṃ samāśritya ramyaṃ vāsaṃ pracakramuḥ

Translation

Dann stellten alle Dānavas den Kampf ringsum ein, suchten Zuflucht auf einem Gipfel des Meru und begannen, ein anmutiges Lager aufzuschlagen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘then’

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• दानवाः: the demons
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण of दानवाः

• युद्धात्: from the battle
• युद्धात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन = Neuter, Ablative singular

• निर्वृत्य: having withdrawn
• निर्वृत्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) = ‘having ceased/withdrawn; having desisted’

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikaraṇa (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘on all sides/everywhere’

• मेरुशृङ्गम्: Meru’s peak
• मेरुशृङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक) + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष = ‘peak of Meru’

• समाश्रित्य: having taken refuge in
• समाश्रित्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) = ‘having resorted to/taken refuge’

• रम्यम्: pleasant; lovely
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण of वासम्

• वासम्: dwelling; abode
• वासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular

• प्रचक्रमुः: they set about; they undertook
• प्रचक्रमुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन = Perfect, 3rd person plural

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru-śṛṅga (mythic)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Asuras withdraw from the dark battlefield and climb to a luminous, pleasant peak of Meru; tents and pavilions rise, fires are lit, and sentries stand along the ridge.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Mount Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even hostile forces seek ‘refuge’ and regrouping; Purāṇas contrast such temporary shelters with true śaraṇāgati—refuge in dharma and the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Meru is invoked as sacred cosmic geography; however, the verse does not provide a tīrtha-vidhi or pilgrimage merit statement here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.