Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तेषां पूजाकृते रौद्रा राक्षसा बलवत्तराः । लंकापुर्याः समायांति सदैव शतशः पुरा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | teṣāṃ pūjākṛte raudrā rākṣasā balavattarāḥ | laṃkāpuryāḥ samāyāṃti sadaiva śataśaḥ purā

Translation

Sūta dit : Pour le culte de ces liṅga, jadis, des Rākṣasa farouches et d’une puissance redoutable venaient sans cesse, par centaines, depuis la cité de Laṅkā.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• teṣām: of those (liṅgas)
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• pūjā-kṛte: for (their) worship
• pūjā-kṛte: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā-kṛta (प्रातिपदिक; पूजा + कृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘for worship / in the matter of worship’

• raudrāḥ: fierce
• raudrāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन; राक्षसाः इति विशेषणम्

• rākṣasāḥ: rākṣasas
• rākṣasāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• balavattarāḥ: stronger
• balavattarāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balavat-tara (प्रातिपदिक; बलवत् + तर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative) ‘stronger’

• laṃkā-puryāḥ: from Laṅkā-city
• laṃkā-puryāḥ: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṃkā-purī (प्रातिपदिक; लंका + पुरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘from the city of Laṅkā’

• samāyānti: come, arrive
• samāyānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time): ‘always’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): अवधारणार्थक ‘indeed, just’

• śataśaḥ: in hundreds
• śataśaḥ: Pramāṇa (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śataśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (distributive adverb): ‘by hundreds, in hundreds’

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘formerly, in olden times’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hundreds of formidable Rākṣasas arriving from Laṅkā in processions to worship a cluster of liṅgas—yet with folded hands, offerings, and disciplined ritual order.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Rākṣasas
• Laṅkā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The pull of sacred worship transcends boundaries—devotees travel great distances to honor powerful liṅgas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The liṅga-site within the same Tīrthamāhātmya setting, notable enough to draw worshippers even from Laṅkā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of the liṅgas is highlighted as the purpose of the Rākṣasas’ pilgrimage.