Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

ततस्तु लीलया देवी मुक्ता तीक्ष्णान्महाशरान् । तान्सर्वांस्ताडयामास सर्वमर्मसु तत्क्षणात्

Transliteration

tatastu līlayā devī muktā tīkṣṇānmahāśarān | tānsarvāṃstāḍayāmāsa sarvamarmasu tatkṣaṇāt

Translation

Then, as if in divine sport, the Goddess loosed sharp, mighty arrows and in an instant struck them all upon their vital points.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• लीलया: playfully, with ease
• लीलया: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुक्ता: having released
• मुक्ता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त (past participle) — अत्र क्रियाविशेषणवत्/कर्तृवाचक: 'having released'

• तीक्ष्णान्: sharp
• तीक्ष्णान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; महाशरान् इति विशेषणम्

• महाशरान्: great arrows
• महाशरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'महान्तः शराः'

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तान् इति विशेषणम्

• ताडयामास: struck, beat
• ताडयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative) भावः: ताडय-

• सर्वमर्मसु: in all vital spots
• सर्वमर्मसु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'सर्वेषु मर्मसु'

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately, at that moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, पञ्चमी-प्राय (ablatival sense): 'तस्मिन् क्षणे/ततः क्षणात्' = immediately

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess, serene as if playing, releases a volley of gleaming arrows; in the same instant, the attackers clutch their vital points and collapse—light radiates from her bow-arm.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (unnamed)
• daityas/dānavas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For the Divine, protecting dharma is effortless; what appears formidable to beings is ‘līlā’ to Devī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-glorification chapter, but it does not name the tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative depiction of Devī’s protective action.