Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

येन शूर्पणखा ध्वस्ता राक्षसी सा च दारुणा । लीलयापि ममादेशात्सोयमेवंविधः स्थितः

Transliteration

yena śūrpaṇakhā dhvastā rākṣasī sā ca dāruṇā | līlayāpi mamādeśātsoyamevaṃvidhaḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

Por el poder de aquel por quien Śūrpaṇakhā—esa feroz rākṣasī—fue destruida, él yace ahora en tal estado, aunque se hizo como en juego, sólo por mi mandato.

Word by Word

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सम्बन्धे 'by whom/whereby'

• śūrpaṇakhā: Śūrpaṇakhā
• śūrpaṇakhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūrpaṇakhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• dhvastā: was destroyed
• dhvastā: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhvaṃs (धातु) → dhvasta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग — 'destroyed' (passive/result)

• rākṣasī: the demoness
• rākṣasī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; apposition to śūrpaṇakhā

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; demonstrative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• dāruṇā: terrible
• dāruṇā: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; विशेषण (qualifying sā/rākṣasī)

• līlayā: playfully/as a sport
• līlayā: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — 'even/also'

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ādeśāt: from (my) command / by (my) order
• ādeśāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• evaṃ-vidhaḥ: such/like this
• evaṃ-vidhaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—कर्मधारय 'of such a kind'

• sthitaḥ: is/has remained
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — 'stood/remained' (state)

Speaker

Rāma (Raghunandana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextual) sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful hero indicates with a gesture/command; a fierce rākṣasī (Śūrpaṇakhā) is shown subdued/ruined, emphasizing effortless dominance and controlled force.

Characters & Entities

• Śūrpaṇakhā
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great deeds and royal power cannot prevent the fragility of embodied life; dharma includes facing sorrow without losing righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the snippet itself does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is a lament recalling past heroic action and present misfortune.