Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

त्रयस्त्रिंशत्समाख्याता एते ये सुरनायकाः । क्षेत्रेऽत्रैवास्थिता नित्यं दानवानां वधाय च

Transliteration

trayastriṃśatsamākhyātā ete ye suranāyakāḥ | kṣetre'traivāsthitā nityaṃ dānavānāṃ vadhāya ca

Translation

„Dies sind die göttlichen Führer, bekannt als die Dreiunddreißig Götter. In diesem heiligen Feld weilen sie hier stets, auch um die Dānavas zu vernichten.“

Word by Word

• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: thirty-three
• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयस् + त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यावाचक), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विशेषणरूपेण ‘त्रयस्त्रिंशत्’ = 33

• समाख्याता: are called/known
• समाख्याता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्या धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुरनायकाः: leaders of the gods
• सुरनायकाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणां नायकाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• आस्थिताः: stationed/abiding
• आस्थिताः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु, आ-उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative)

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वधाय: for the slaying
• वधाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative frame in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly of the Thirty-Three gods stationed in a radiant sacred field, weapons and emblems visible, with subdued demonic silhouettes at the periphery being repelled.

Characters & Entities

• Trayastriṃśat (Thirty-Three Devas)
• Sura-nāyakāḥ
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as a living sacred zone where divine presence continually safeguards dharma and subdues demonic tendencies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra / Amareśvara-kuṇḍa Māhātmya context within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the perpetual divine presence of the Thirty-Three at the kṣetra.