Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तिष्ठध्वमत्रैव रक्षार्थं नगरस्य च । शापव्याजेन युष्माकं वरोऽयं समुपस्थितः

Transliteration

tasmāttiṣṭhadhvamatraiva rakṣārthaṃ nagarasya ca | śāpavyājena yuṣmākaṃ varo'yaṃ samupasthitaḥ

Translation

Por tanto, permaneced aquí mismo para la protección de la ciudad. Bajo el pretexto de una maldición, este don se ha presentado ante vosotros.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ablative used adverbially ‘therefore/from that’

• तिष्ठध्वम्: stay / stand
• तिष्ठध्वम्: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: here)

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘for the sake of protection’), used adverbially as purpose

• नगरस्य: of the city
• नगरस्य: Śeṣa (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• शापव्याजेन: by the pretext of a curse
• शापव्याजेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप + व्याज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘pretext of a curse’), instrumental ‘by/under the pretext’

• युष्माकम्: for you / of you
• युष्माकम्: Śeṣa (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; demonstrative qualifying ‘वरः’

• समुपस्थितः: has come / is present
• समुपस्थितः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate adjective (to ‘वरः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (past participle) ‘having arrived/present’

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (granting a protective mandate to local devīs/forces)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A commanding instruction: guardians or residents are told to remain in place to protect the city; a symbolic ‘curse’ scroll dissolves into a radiant boon, showing reversal of fortune.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What appears adverse (a curse) can conceal divine grace; sacred places are protected through divinely appointed guardians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa sacred city itself is foregrounded as a protected dhāma-like space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it is a command establishing ongoing protective presence over the city.