Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अदितिरुवाच । मम पुत्राः सुरश्रेष्ठ हन्यन्ते युधि दानवैः । तत्कुरुष्व गतायासानवध्यान्रणमूर्धनि

Transliteration

aditiruvāca | mama putrāḥ suraśreṣṭha hanyante yudhi dānavaiḥ | tatkuruṣva gatāyāsānavadhyānraṇamūrdhani

Translation

Aditi sprach: „O Bester unter den Göttern, meine Söhne werden im Kampf von den Dānavas erschlagen. Darum befreie sie von Ermattung und mache sie unbesiegbar an der Spitze der Schlacht.“

Word by Word

• अदितिः: Aditi
• अदितिः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां श्रेष्ठः)

• हन्यन्ते: are being slain
• हन्यन्ते: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दानवैः: by the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवैः: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• तत्: therefore/then
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; निर्देश/अनन्तरार्थ (then/therefore)

• कुरुष्व: do (it), make (them)
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (कुरुष्व)

• गतायासान्: free from fatigue, rested
• गतायासान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (गम्-धातोः क्त) + आयास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गतः आयासः येषाम् = whose fatigue is gone)

• अवध्यान्: invincible, not to be killed
• अवध्यान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक; न-धात्वर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; ‘अवध्य’ = not to be slain

• रणमूर्धनि: at the forefront of the battle
• रणमूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रणस्य मूर्धा/मूर्धनि = at the head/front of battle)

Speaker

Aditi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aditi, earnest and distressed yet composed, petitions Śiva for her sons’ strength; in the background, a stylized battlefield of devas and dānavas is hinted, while the liṅga remains the calm axis of power.

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Devas
• Dānavas/Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A devotee seeks divine power not for vanity but to restore dharma and protect the righteous from oppression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request is made in the presence of the manifested liṅga at Amareśvara, situating the boon within that tīrtha’s potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse records the specific boon sought—freedom from fatigue and invincibility in battle.