Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथा सौ पार्थिवः क्रुद्धः स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः । युद्धाय निर्ययौ स्थानान्मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तने

Transliteration

athā sau pārthivaḥ kruddhaḥ svasainyaparivāritaḥ | yuddhāya niryayau sthānānmṛtyuṃ kṛtvā nivartane

Translation

Da zog jener König, vom Zorn entflammt und von seinem eigenen Heer umgeben, von seinem Ort zur Schlacht hinaus, entschlossen, den Tod zum Preis jedes Rückzugs zu machen.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तर (discourse particle: 'then/now')

• asau: that (person); he
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pārthivaḥ: the king
• pārthivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kruddhaḥ: angry
• kruddhaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krudh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन; 'angered'

• sva-sainya-parivāritaḥ: surrounded by his own army
• sva-sainya-parivāritaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक) + parivārita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (surrounded by his army)

• yuddhāya: for battle
• yuddhāya: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• niryayau: went out; marched forth
• niryayau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• sthānāt: from (his) place
• sthānāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), 'having made'

• nivartane: in retreat; in turning back
• nivartane: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivartana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative: 'in retreat/turning back')

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembled sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king rides out with a full retinue—elephants, horses, banners—face set in wrathful determination; weapons gleam; the city gates open; the road to battle stretches ahead like fate.

Characters & Entities

• pārthiva (king)
• sainyam (army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣatriya duty emphasizes courage and steadfastness; yet such resolve must be guided by dharma and wise judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of the narrative frame within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.