Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मया विनाप्याशु नागैश्चैव नरैस्तथा । तपः शक्त्या प्रकर्तव्यं राज्यं निहतकण्टकम्

Transliteration

tasmānmayā vināpyāśu nāgaiścaiva naraistathā | tapaḥ śaktyā prakartavyaṃ rājyaṃ nihatakaṇṭakam

Translation

Darum sollen, auch ohne mich, die Nāgas und die Menschen unverzüglich durch die Kraft der Askese (tapas) ein Reich errichten, das ohne Dornen ist—frei von Bedrückern und allen Nöten.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (without)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• nāgaiḥ: by/with nāgas (serpents/elephants; here: nāgas)
• nāgaiḥ: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• naraiḥ: by/with men
• naraiḥ: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• tapaḥ: austerity/penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• śaktyā: by power/ability
• śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• prakartavyam: must be performed
• prakartavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• rājyam: kingdom/rule
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• nihata-kaṇṭakam: with obstacles removed/thornless
• nihata-kaṇṭakam: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nihata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ni-√han + kta) + kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य कण्टकाः निहताः तत्) विशेषणम् (qualifies rājyam)

Speaker

A king/ruler (speaker not explicitly named in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nāgas (serpent-hooded divine beings) and humans performing austerities near a sacred grove/riverbank; from their tapas arises a radiant, orderly kingdom—fort gates open to pilgrims, thorns/bandits symbolically burned away.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (disciplined spiritual power) is presented as a force that can restore dharmic order and remove societal ‘thorns’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named yet; the verse emphasizes tapas as the means before the tīrtha is identified later.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is prescribed broadly (austerity/discipline), without a specific vow, bath, or donation detailed here.