Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तेषां त्रैलोक्यराज्यार्थं मिथो जज्ञे महाहवः । तत्र शक्रेण ते दैत्याः संग्रामे विनिपातिताः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ trailokyarājyārthaṃ mitho jajñe mahāhavaḥ | tatra śakreṇa te daityāḥ saṃgrāme vinipātitāḥ

Translation

For sovereignty over the three worlds, a great war arose between them. In that battle, those Daityas were struck down by Śakra (Indra).

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• त्रैलोक्य-राज्य-अर्थम्: for the sake of sovereignty over the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य-राज्य-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (trailokyasya rājya-artham)

• मिथः: mutually, with one another
• मिथः: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), परस्परार्थक-अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

• जज्ञे: arose/occurred
• जज्ञे: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• महाहवः: a great battle
• महाहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् हवः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• दैत्याः: Daityas (demons)
• दैत्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विनिपातिताः: were struck down, slain
• विनिपातिताः: Karma (Patient; passive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नि-पत् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial battlefield: Indra (Śakra) with vajra and radiant armor strikes down assembled Daityas amid swirling dust, banners, and fallen weapons; the scene foreshadows a nearby sacred field where later tapas will occur.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Daityas
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire for dominion (rājya) fuels conflict; Purāṇas use such wars to highlight the need for dharma, restraint, and divine alignment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides mythic causation that later connects to the chapter’s kṣetra and its religious merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the cosmic battle outcome.