Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततो देवाः समुत्थाय तत्त्यक्त्वा शस्त्रपाणयः । जघ्नुश्च निशितैः शस्त्रैः पलायनसमुत्सुकान् । लज्जाहीनान्गतामर्षान्दीनवाक्यप्रजल्पकान्

Transliteration

tato devāḥ samutthāya tattyaktvā śastrapāṇayaḥ | jaghnuśca niśitaiḥ śastraiḥ palāyanasamutsukān | lajjāhīnāngatāmarṣāndīnavākyaprajalpakān

Translation

Alors les dieux se levèrent ; les armes en main, ils frappèrent de lames acérées ceux qui brûlaient de fuir—sans honte, la colère éteinte, bredouillant des paroles pitoyables.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रम)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• samutthāya: having risen
• samutthāya: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ud-√sthā (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त), ‘having risen/standing up’

• tat: that (being)
• tat: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tyaktvā: having left
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त), ‘having abandoned/left’

• śastra-pāṇayaḥ: weapon-in-hand (armed)
• śastra-pāṇayaḥ: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘शस्त्रं पाणौ येषाम्’ (weapons in hand)

• jaghnuḥ: they struck/killed
• jaghnuḥ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• niśitaiḥ: sharp
• niśitaiḥ: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• śastraiḥ: with weapons
• śastraiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• palāyana-samutsukān: those eager to flee
• palāyana-samutsukān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: palāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + samutsuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘पलायने समुत्सुकाः’ (eager to flee)

• lajjā-hīnān: shameless
• lajjā-hīnān: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lajjā (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘लज्जया हीनाः’ (devoid of shame)

• gata-amarṣān: with anger gone
• gata-amarṣān: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (√gam + kta) + amarṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘गतः अमर्षः येषाम्’ (whose anger/resentment is gone)

• dīna-vākya-prajalpakān: babbling pitiable words
• dīna-vākya-prajalpakān: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + prajalpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘दीनानि वाक्यानि प्रजल्पन्ति ये’ (those who prattle miserable words)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (continuous narration; likely Sūta continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic rout: gods rise with weapons, striking fleeing foes; the defeated are shameless, anger spent, pleading and babbling; sharp weapons flash.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is defended decisively; cowardice and shamelessness are portrayed as signs of spiritual and moral collapse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but the location is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, describing the gods’ action.