Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ततः सा दारुणा शक्तिर्विश्वामित्रप्रयोजिता । तस्यांगदेशं स्पृष्ट्वाथ निपपात धरातले

Transliteration

tataḥ sā dāruṇā śaktirviśvāmitraprayojitā | tasyāṃgadeśaṃ spṛṣṭvātha nipapāta dharātale

Translation

Daraufhin berührte jene schreckliche Macht, von Viśvāmitra entsandt, einen Teil seines Leibes und stürzte sogleich zu Boden.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (sequential adverb)

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दारुणा: terrible
• दारुणा: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (शक्तिः)

• शक्तिः: power/weapon (śakti)
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विश्वामित्रप्रयोजिता: impelled by Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रप्रयोजिता: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयोजित (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् caus. + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (set in motion by Viśvāmitra)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अङ्गदेशम्: a part of (his) body
• अङ्गदेशम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (region of the body/limb-area)

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: आरम्भ/अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (then/now)

• निपपात: fell down
• निपपात: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धरातले: on the ground
• धरातले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The dreadful power, after touching the sage’s limb, loses momentum and drops to the ground like a spent thundercloud; dust rises as the earth receives it, while the sage remains steady.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Vasiṣṭha (implied)
• Śakti/Kṛtyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma and spiritual mastery prevail, destructive forces lose their momentum and collapse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not identified in this verse; it remains within the chapter’s tīrtha-mahātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the neutralization of the śakti.