Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यं कञ्चिद्वीक्षयंतिस्म जपहोमपरायणम । स्वाध्यायं वा प्रकुर्वाणं तं निघ्नंति शितासिभिः

Transliteration

yaṃ kañcidvīkṣayaṃtisma japahomaparāyaṇama | svādhyāyaṃ vā prakurvāṇaṃ taṃ nighnaṃti śitāsibhiḥ

Translation

Wen immer sie zufällig erblickten, der dem Japa und dem Homa hingegeben war oder Svādhyāya (heilige Rezitation) übte, den erschlugen sie mit scharfen Schwertern.

Word by Word

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कञ्चित्: someone/anyone
• कञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• वीक्षयन्ति: they see/notice
• वीक्षयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्म: indeed/used to
• स्म: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भूतार्थ-प्रत्ययार्थक/स्मरणार्थक (particle indicating past habitual/indeed)

• जपहोमपरायणम्: devoted to japa and homa
• जपहोमपरायणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समाहार/द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (जप+होम) ततः तत्पुरुष (जपहोमे परायणः)

• स्वाध्यायम्: Vedic recitation/self-study
• स्वाध्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• प्रकुर्वाणम्: doing/performing
• प्रकुर्वाणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निघ्नन्ति: they kill/strike down
• निघ्नन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शितासिभिः: with sharp swords
• शितासिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शि/शै ‘to sharpen’) + असि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (शिताः असयः = sharp swords)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa context; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peaceful ascetic engaged in japa beside a small sacred fire is suddenly assaulted by concealed Dānavas with gleaming swords; the contrast between serenity and brutality is stark.

Characters & Entities

• japa
• homa
• svādhyāya
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Japa, homa, and svādhyāya are portrayed as visible signs of dharma; the text underscores their gravity by showing the extreme hostility they provoke in adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Adhyāya 231 the episode culminates in the glory and protective power associated with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references japa (mantra repetition), homa (oblations), and svādhyāya (scriptural recitation/study) as core religious practices.