Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य कुमा रस्य तदा तत्राभिषेचनम् । सेनापत्यं कृतं साक्षाद्देवानां शंभुना स्वयम्

Transliteration

atha tasya kumā rasya tadā tatrābhiṣecanam | senāpatyaṃ kṛtaṃ sākṣāddevānāṃ śaṃbhunā svayam

Translation

Dann wurde dort sogleich die Abhiṣeka, die heilige Weihe jenes göttlichen Prinzen, vollzogen; und Śambhu (Śiva) selbst setzte ihn unmittelbar zum Heerführer der Götter ein.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/आरम्भार्थक (indeclinable particle; then/now)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive); एकवचन (singular)

• कुमारस्य: of the prince/young god (Kumāra)
• कुमारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive); एकवचन

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अभिषेचनम्: consecration/anointing
• अभिषेचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/nom. or 2nd/acc.); एकवचन

• सेनापत्यम्: the office of commander-in-chief
• सेनापत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• कृतम्: was made/was appointed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (made/appointed)

• साक्षात्: directly/in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभावार्थे/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: directly, in person)

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

• शंभुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental); एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Emphatic agent/कर्ता-बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मकर्तृवाचक (indeclinable: oneself, personally)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māhātmya-style narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Śambhu) performs the consecration of the divine Kumāra in the presence of assembled gods; ritual vessels, sacred waters, and a radiant youthful warrior-god receiving command insignia.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda (Kumāra)
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority in dharma is portrayed as consecrated and divinely sanctioned—leadership is a sacred responsibility, not mere power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The consecration occurs “there” within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the verse does not specify the tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka (consecratory anointing) is referenced as the rite marking Skanda’s installation.