Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मुंच वज्र सहस्राक्ष पश्यामि तव पौरुषम् । चिरात्प्राप्तोऽसि मे दृष्टिं दिष्ट्या त्वं त्रिदिवेश्वरः

Transliteration

muṃca vajra sahasrākṣa paśyāmi tava pauruṣam | cirātprāpto'si me dṛṣṭiṃ diṣṭyā tvaṃ tridiveśvaraḥ

Translation

„Wirf deinen Vajra, o Tausendäugiger (Sahasrākṣa), damit ich deine Tapferkeit sehe. Nach langer Zeit bist du mir endlich vor Augen gekommen; wahrlich durch Glück bist du der Herr des dreifachen Himmels!“

Word by Word

• मुंच: release! let go!
• मुंच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद; धातु: मुच्—मोचने (to release)

• वज्र: the thunderbolt
• वज्र: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• सहस्राक्ष: O thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• सहस्राक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (vocative/8th), एकवचन (singular)

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद; धातु: पश्—दर्शने (to see)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• पौरुषम्: manliness, valor
• पौरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• चिरात्: after a long time
• चिरात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• प्राप्तः: (you) have come/arrived
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद; धातु: अस्—भुवि (to be)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• दृष्टिम्: sight, vision
• दृष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• दिष्ट्या: fortunately, by good luck
• दिष्ट्या: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावप्राय प्रयोग; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण निपातवत् (idiomatic: ‘by good fortune’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• त्रिदिवेश्वरः: lord of heaven
• त्रिदिवेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदिव + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमास (‘त्रिदिवस्य ईश्वरः’); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Kālaprabha (Dānava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A challenger addresses Indra (Sahasrākṣa), urging him to cast the vajra; Indra is seen as the radiant lord of Svarga, poised for combat, surrounded by celestial retinue and storm-cloud aura.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• Vajra
• Tridiva (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mockery and provocation are marks of adharma; true valor is disciplined and aligned with righteous purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this taunting speech; it remains within the broader Mahātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.