Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

येन शूर्पणखा ध्वस्ता राक्षसी सा च दारुणा । लीलयापि ममादेशात्सोयमेवंविधः स्थितः

Transliteration

yena śūrpaṇakhā dhvastā rākṣasī sā ca dāruṇā | līlayāpi mamādeśātsoyamevaṃvidhaḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

By whose power Śūrpaṇakhā—that fierce rākṣasī—was destroyed, he now lies in such a state, even though it was done as if in play, merely by my command.

Word by Word

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सम्बन्धे 'by whom/whereby'

• śūrpaṇakhā: Śūrpaṇakhā
• śūrpaṇakhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūrpaṇakhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• dhvastā: was destroyed
• dhvastā: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhvaṃs (धातु) → dhvasta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग — 'destroyed' (passive/result)

• rākṣasī: the demoness
• rākṣasī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; apposition to śūrpaṇakhā

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; demonstrative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• dāruṇā: terrible
• dāruṇā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; विशेषण (qualifying sā/rākṣasī)

• līlayā: playfully/as a sport
• līlayā: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग

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

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ādeśāt: from (my) command / by (my) order
• ādeśāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• evaṃ-vidhaḥ: such/like this
• evaṃ-vidhaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—कर्मधारय 'of such a kind'

• sthitaḥ: is/has remained
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — 'stood/remained' (state)

Speaker

Rāma (Raghunandana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextual) sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful hero indicates with a gesture/command; a fierce rākṣasī (Śūrpaṇakhā) is shown subdued/ruined, emphasizing effortless dominance and controlled force.

Characters & Entities

• Śūrpaṇakhā
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great deeds and royal power cannot prevent the fragility of embodied life; dharma includes facing sorrow without losing righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the snippet itself does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is a lament recalling past heroic action and present misfortune.