Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

नमः शक्राय देवाय शुनासीराय ते नमः । नमस्ते वज्रहस्ताय नमस्ते वज्रपाणये

Transliteration

namaḥ śakrāya devāya śunāsīrāya te namaḥ | namaste vajrahastāya namaste vajrapāṇaye

Translation

Ehrerbietung Śakra, dem Gott; Ehrerbietung dir, Śunāsīra. Ehrerbietung dir, der die Vajra in der Hand hält; Ehrerbietung dir, Vajrapāṇi, dem Träger der Vajra.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation; homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/उपपद), नमस्कारार्थे (salutation particle)

• śakrāya: to Śakra (Indra)
• śakrāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• devāya: to the god
• devāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषणभावे शक्रस्य (appositional)

• śunāsīrāya: to Śunāsīra (an epithet of Indra)
• śunāsīrāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śunāsīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य नाम (epithet)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (ते = तुभ्यम्)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/उपपद), नमस्कारार्थे

• namas: salutation
• namas: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘namas + te’ इति संधिविग्रहः (namaste)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (ते = तुभ्यम्)

• vajrahastāya: to the one with the thunderbolt in hand
• vajrahastāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वज्रस्य हस्तः यस्य/वज्रहस्तः) इति नामधेय

• namas: salutation
• namas: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘namas + te’ इति संधिविग्रहः (namaste)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (ते = तुभ्यम्)

• vajrapāṇaye: to the thunderbolt-bearer
• vajrapāṇaye: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वज्रः पाणौ यस्य/वज्रपाणिः)

Speaker

Unclear from excerpt (a devotee/ritual officiant offering praise within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (chapter context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary audience in the purāṇic frame (traditionally sages); within chapter, speaker addresses Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee or sage offers folded-hands homage to Indra, who stands radiant with vajra in hand, surrounded by devas; the atmosphere is ceremonial, anticipating Indra-mahotsava.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Śunāsīra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Stuti (praise) is a direct devotional act—remembering the deity by names and powers aligns the worshipper with divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a hymn within a tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of Indra’s praise-names (Śakra, Śunāsīra, Vajrahasta, Vajrapāṇi) as part of worship.