Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततस्तारकसैन्यस्य दैत्यदानवकोटयः । समाजग्मुस्तस्य पुराच्छंखनादभयातुराः

Transliteration

tatastārakasainyasya daityadānavakoṭayaḥ | samājagmustasya purācchaṃkhanādabhayāturāḥ

Translation

Then, from that city, crores of Daityas and Dānavas of Tāraka’s army gathered together, distressed with fear at the sound of the conch.

Word by Word

• tatas: then
• tatas: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb), क्रम/अनन्तरार्थकः (then/thereupon)

• tāraka-sainyasya: of Tāraka's army
• tāraka-sainyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तारकस्य सैन्यम्)

• daitya-dānava-koṭayaḥ: crores of Daityas and Dānavas
• daitya-dānava-koṭayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya + dānava + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; समाहारार्थे बहुपदसमासः (daitya/dānava + koṭi: 'crores of...')

• samājagmuḥ: assembled/came together
• samājagmuḥ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसके, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• purāt: from the city
• purāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pura (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverbial form), अपादानार्थकः (from the city)

• śaṃkha-nāda-bhaya-āturāḥ: distressed with fear of the conch-sound
• śaṃkha-nāda-bhaya-āturāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṃkha + nāda + bhaya + ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शंखनादात् भयेन आतुराः)

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgara-khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tāmravatī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (amune implied in the passage sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the city’s gates and surrounding horizons, vast ranks of Daityas and Dānavas surge forward—some on beasts, some in chariots—faces tense, ears turned toward the conch-sound, banners whipping in the wind.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Daitya
• Dānava
• Tāmravatī (implied from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma trembles when dharma’s herald is sounded; inner fear arises in the unrighteous at the approach of divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting remains the city-region of Tāmravatī referenced just prior, functioning as the locale of the conch-signal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.