Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

धारातीर्थमृतानां च प्रहारैः सन्मुखैः प्रभो । या गतिश्च समादिष्टा तां मे वद जनार्दन

Transliteration

dhārātīrthamṛtānāṃ ca prahāraiḥ sanmukhaiḥ prabho | yā gatiśca samādiṣṭā tāṃ me vada janārdana

Translation

O Herr—sage mir, o Janārdana: welches Geschick ist denen bestimmt, die am Dhārātīrtha in der großen Schlacht, in vorderster Reihe, den Hieben von Angesicht zu Angesicht begegnen und dort sterben?

Word by Word

• धारातीर्थमृतानाम्: of those who died at Dhārā-tīrtha
• धारातीर्थमृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhārā-tīrtha + mṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (धारातीर्थे मृताः), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रहारैः: by blows/strikes
• प्रहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सन्मुखैः: face-to-face/direct
• सन्मुखैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (सत्/सम् + मुख), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (प्रहारैः)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• गतिः: course/destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• समादिष्टा: ordained/assigned
• समादिष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-दि श् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (गतिः इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular) रूपम्; अत्र चतुर्थी (to me) अधिकम्

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• जनार्दन: O Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Indra (Vṛtrahā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārātīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra addresses Viṣṇu (Janārdana), asking the ordained destiny of those who die at Dhārātīrtha, struck down while facing the enemy in the forefront of battle.

Characters & Entities

• Dhārātīrtha
• Viṣṇu (Janārdana)
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The manner of meeting death (courageously, facing forward) and the sanctity of place (tīrtha) are presented as decisive for one’s posthumous gati.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhārātīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse frames a dharmic inquiry about tīrtha-phala tied to heroic death.