Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तस्मान्नागं समारुह्य निजं वृत्रनिषूदन । एणस्य कृष्णसारस्य वंशांते चर्म न्यस्य च

Transliteration

tasmānnāgaṃ samāruhya nijaṃ vṛtraniṣūdana | eṇasya kṛṣṇasārasya vaṃśāṃte carma nyasya ca

Translation

Darum, o Bezwinger Vṛtras, besteige deinen eigenen Elefanten; und befestige an der Spitze eines Bambusstabes die Haut einer Antilope—des schwarzen Blackbuck—wie es dir gesagt wird.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूप (therefore/from that reason)

• नागम्: elephant
• नागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• समारुह्य: having mounted
• समारुह्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having mounted)

• निजम्: his own
• निजम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘नागम्’ इति विशेषणम् (one's own)

• वृत्रनिषूदन: O slayer of Vṛtra
• वृत्रनिषूदन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र-निषूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन; समासः—वृत्रस्य निषूदनः (slayer of Vṛtra; epithet of Indra)

• एणस्य: of an antelope
• एणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• कृष्णसारस्य: of a black antelope
• कृष्णसारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन; समासः—कृष्णः सारः यस्य (black antelope)

• वंशान्ते: at the end of a bamboo staff
• वंशान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; समासः—वंशस्य अन्तः (at the end of a bamboo staff)

• चर्म: hide/skin
• चर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-√अस्/√स्यन्द? (धातु) → न्यस्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय; धातुः √अस् (न्यासे) / √न्यस् (to place); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having placed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

Speaker

Brahmā (continuation of counsel to Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, addressed as Vṛtra-slayer, is instructed to mount his elephant; a bamboo staff is prepared with blackbuck skin affixed at its tip as a visible marker above the crowd.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Vṛtraniṣūdana, Śatakratu)
• Elephant (nāga)
• Kṛṣṇasāra (blackbuck)
• Bamboo staff (vaṃśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through practical means: sacred gatherings require clear, auspicious signs to guide the community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is given in the Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara bathing-festival context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indra is told to mount his elephant and use a staff bearing blackbuck skin as a visible marker for the bathing proceedings.