Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कस्माद्दितेर्महेन्द्रेण कृतं कृत्यं तथाविधम् । येन संसूदितो गर्भः सर्वं विस्तरतो वद

Transliteration

kasmādditermahendreṇa kṛtaṃ kṛtyaṃ tathāvidham | yena saṃsūdito garbhaḥ sarvaṃ vistarato vada

Translation

Why did Mahendra (Indra) commit such a deed against Diti, by which her embryo was destroyed? Tell the whole matter in full detail.

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• दितेः: of Diti
• दितेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• महेन्द्रेण: by Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate action-state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

• कृत्यम्: a deed; an act to be done
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• तथाविधम्: of such a kind
• तथाविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• येन: by which; whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• संसूदितः: was destroyed/killed
• संसूदितः: Kriya (Predicate action-state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + सूद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गर्भः: the embryo, fetus
• गर्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (in detail/at length)

• वद: tell, speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and/or assembled ṛṣis (standard Sūta frame; specific listener not named here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning sage/king addresses the narrator, asking why Indra harmed Diti and destroyed her embryo; the scene is a narrative threshold before a long mythic flashback.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Garbha (embryo)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas invite moral reflection by asking for causes and consequences behind powerful beings’ controversial actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The inquiry continues the Śakra-samudrava tīrtha narrative thread introduced at the start of Adhyāya 22.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for the full backstory explaining the deed and its context.