Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

विध्वंसयति देवानां स्त्रियो मासचतुष्टयम् । उद्यानानि च सर्वाणि सपुराणि गृहाणि च

Transliteration

vidhvaṃsayati devānāṃ striyo māsacatuṣṭayam | udyānāni ca sarvāṇi sapurāṇi gṛhāṇi ca

Translation

Vier Monate lang verwüstet er die Frauen der Götter; und er zerstört alle Gärten sowie die Häuser mitsamt ihren Städten und alten Bezirken.

Word by Word

• विध्वंसयति: destroys
• विध्वंसयति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √ध्वंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• स्त्रियः: women, wives
• स्त्रियः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

• मासचतुष्टयम्: (for) a period of four months
• मासचतुष्टयम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (a set of four months)

• उद्यानानि: gardens
• उद्यानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

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

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सपुराणि: together with cities
• सपुराणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पुर (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; सह-तत्पुरुष (with cities/forts)

• गृहाणि: houses
• गृहाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narrative voice continuing the account)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping panorama of desecration: ruined pleasure-gardens, shattered city-gates, burning houses, and devas in disarray; the daitya’s tyranny is shown as both moral and physical devastation.

Characters & Entities

• devāḥ (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text dramatizes adharma as social and cosmic violence, emphasizing the need to uphold and protect dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes widespread devastation affecting divine domains.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description of destructive acts.