Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

दक्ष उवाच । एतद्रौद्रतमं कर्म सर्वदेवभयावहम् । त्याज्यं युष्माभिरव्यग्रैरेतदर्थमिहागतः

Transliteration

dakṣa uvāca | etadraudratamaṃ karma sarvadevabhayāvaham | tyājyaṃ yuṣmābhiravyagrairetadarthamihāgataḥ

Translation

Dakṣa said: “This is an exceedingly fierce act, bringing fear even to all the gods. You, being steady and undistracted, must abandon it. It is for this very purpose that I have come here.”

Word by Word

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्म)

• रौद्रतमम्: most terrible
• रौद्रतमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• कर्म: act, deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वदेवभयावहम्: bringing fear to all the gods
• सर्वदेवभयावहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + आवह (प्रातिपदिक; √वह with ā- as 'bringing')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'सर्वदेवानां भयम्' + कर्मधारय/उपपद-तत्पुरुष 'आवह')

• त्याज्यम्: to be abandoned
• त्याज्यम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: यत् (gerundive/भाव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (ought to be abandoned)

• युष्माभिः: by you (pl.)
• युष्माभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अव्यग्रैः: unagitated, undistracted
• अव्यग्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (युष्माभिः)

• एतदर्थम्: for this purpose
• एतदर्थम्: Hetu (Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासवत् प्रयोग; अव्यय (purpose: 'for this purpose')

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• आगतः: (I) have come
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Dakṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munis (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa speaks sternly, palm raised in a gesture of prohibition, while sages stand attentive; the yajña fire appears intense, hinting at ‘raudra’ potency needing restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Devas (all gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful rites must be governed by dharma; actions that spread fear and disorder among divine beings should be restrained.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework, but no specific tīrtha-name is stated in this shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A warning is given to abandon (tyājya) an excessively fierce ritual act; no specific dāna/snān/japa is detailed here.