Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

सा भूयोपि हृताऽस्माकं क्षत्रियैर्बलवत्तरैः । तिरस्कृत्य द्विजान्सर्वांल्लीलयापि मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

sā bhūyopi hṛtā'smākaṃ kṣatriyairbalavattaraiḥ | tiraskṛtya dvijānsarvāṃllīlayāpi muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

Pourtant, elle nous fut encore enlevée par des kṣatriyas plus puissants, qui, sans cesse, même comme par jeu, outrageaient tous les deux-fois-nés.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (woman)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• हृता: was taken away, abducted
• हृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• क्षत्रियैः: by the kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• बलवत्तरैः: stronger, more powerful
• बलवत्तरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तुलनात्मक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (comparative) क्षत्रियैः इति विशेष्यस्य

• तिरस्कृत्य: having insulted, disregarding
• तिरस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तिरस् + कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• द्विजान्: the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण द्विजान् इति

• लीलया: playfully, as a sport
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas, carrying waterpots and manuscripts, are mocked and pushed aside by armed kṣatriyas; the sacred landscape remains in the background, suggesting a tīrtha whose peace is disturbed.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣatriyas
• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without dharma leads to repeated injustice; honoring sacred communities is presented as essential to righteous rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative by motivating the need for a protected sacred settlement in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes social wrongdoing (tiraskāra) as a dharmic failure.