Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

श्रीदेव्युवाच । अहं भार्या सुरेन्द्रस्य प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी । ममाज्ञां पालयन्ति स्म देवदानवपन्नगाः

Transliteration

śrīdevyuvāca | ahaṃ bhāryā surendrasya prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī | mamājñāṃ pālayanti sma devadānavapannagāḥ

Translation

Die erhabene Göttin sprach: „Ich bin die Gemahlin Surendras (Indras), des Herrn der Götter, und teurer als das Leben selbst. Seit jeher befolgen Götter, Dānavas und Nāga-Schlangen meinen Befehl.“

Word by Word

• śrī-devī: Śrī Devī (the Goddess)
• śrī-devī: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीश्च सा देवी)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• surendrasya: of the lord of the gods (Indra)
• surendrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुराणाम् इन्द्रः)

• prāṇebhyaḥ: than (his) lives/breaths
• prāṇebhyaḥ: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावक अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• garīyasī: more weighty/dearer
• garīyasī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garīyas (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ājñām: command
• ājñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pālayanti: obey/guard
• pālayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pāl (पाल् रक्षणे) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sma: indeed/used to
• sma: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-प्रयोगः (particle indicating past/habitual with present form)

• deva-dānava-pannagāḥ: gods, demons, and serpents
• deva-dānava-pannagāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + dānava (प्रातिपदिक) + pannaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (देवाश्च दानवाश्च पन्नगाश्च)

Speaker

Śrīdevī (here: Śacī/Indrāṇī in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the tapasvī/supplicant (and by extension the narratee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess speaks in majesty, declaring herself Indra’s beloved queen; devas, dānavas, and nāgas are shown in attentive obedience, emphasizing her commanding presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīdevī
• Surendra (Indra)
• Deva
• Dānava
• Pannaga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order (ājñā) sustains the cosmos; even powerful beings are bound by higher authority and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in this verse; it functions within a broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes status, devotion, and obedience to divine command.