Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अथासौ हृदयं भित्त्वा तस्य दैत्यस्य दारुणा । चमत्कारपुरोपांते पतिता रुधिरोक्षिता

Transliteration

athāsau hṛdayaṃ bhittvā tasya daityasya dāruṇā | camatkārapuropāṃte patitā rudhirokṣitā

Translation

That dreadful spear, having pierced the demon’s heart, fell near the outskirts of Camatkārapura, spattered with blood.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) “then”

• असौ: that (weapon)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शक्तिः इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• हृदयम्: heart
• हृदयम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• भित्त्वा: having pierced
• भित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive) “having pierced/split”

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दैत्यस्य इत्यस्य सह समानाधिकरण-सम्बन्धः

• दैत्यस्य: of the demon
• दैत्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• दारुणा: terrible, fierce
• दारुणा: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; असौ/शक्तिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चमत्कारपुरोपान्ते: near the city of Camatkāra
• चमत्कारपुरोपान्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कारपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (“near the city of Camatkāra”); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पतिता: fell
• पतिता: Kriya (क्रिया) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शक्तिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थतः “fell/has fallen”

• रुधिरोक्षिता: splashed with blood
• रुधिरोक्षिता: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्षित (वच्/उक्ष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (“sprinkled with blood”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शक्तिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from the narration; explicit from v.23 onward)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura-pārśva (Śakti-pāta-sthāna, implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The spear pierces Tāraka’s heart; then, dripping blood, it drops to the earth near Camatkārapura’s outskirts, the ground glowing where it lands.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkārapura
• Daitya (demon)
• Śakti (spear)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is often anchored in a divine act; the landscape becomes sanctified through dharma’s victory over adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkārapura and its immediate environs (upānta) are explicitly named, indicating the locale whose māhātmya is being established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it supplies the place-linked mythic event that later supports tīrtha-glorification.