Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्राहि सुरश्रेष्ठ तस्या योनेः सकाशतः । कथं चैतद्विधो भूत्वा तस्यां जन्म करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

tasmāttrāhi suraśreṣṭha tasyā yoneḥ sakāśataḥ | kathaṃ caitadvidho bhūtvā tasyāṃ janma karomyaham

Translation

Darum, o Bester der Götter, beschütze mich vor jenem Schoß. Wie könnte ich, so wie ich bin, in einem solchen Zustand geboren werden?

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — ‘तस्मात्’ (from that/therefore)

• त्राहि: save (me)
• त्राहि: Kriya (Request/प्रार्थना)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘त्राहि’ (protect/save)

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — ‘सुरश्रेष्ठ’ (O best of gods); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां श्रेष्ठः)

• तस्याः: of that (woman)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘तस्याः’ (of that [female])

• योनेः: of the womb
• योनेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘योनेः’ (of the womb)

• सकाशतः: from (the proximity/presence)
• सकाशतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकाशतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादानार्थक/समीपवाचक) — from near/from the presence of

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक) — how?

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — and

• एतद्विधः: of this kind
• एतद्विधः: Predicate (Vidheyavisheshana/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद्-विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — ‘एतद्विधः’ (of this kind); समासः तत्पुरुषः (एतादृशः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund), ‘having become’

• तस्याम्: in her
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘तस्याम्’ (in her/therein)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘जन्म’ (birth)

• करोमि: do/undergo
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘करोमि’ (I do/make)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — ‘अहम्’ (I)

Speaker

Dharmarāja

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja, hands raised in supplication, asks Śiva for protection from the cursed birth; Śiva listens with compassionate stillness, suggesting imminent boon.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Śiva (addressed as Suraśreṣṭha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When karmic fear arises, purāṇic dharma directs one to prayer and divine refuge, seeking transformation through grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse, though the setting remains within a kṣetra/tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct supplication (prārthanā) to the deity is implied; no formal rite is detailed in this line.