Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततः शक्रादयो देवाः संत्रस्ता मेरुमूर्धनि । मिलित्वा चक्रिरे मंत्रं तस्य विघ्नकृते मिथः

Transliteration

tataḥ śakrādayo devāḥ saṃtrastā merumūrdhani | militvā cakrire maṃtraṃ tasya vighnakṛte mithaḥ

Translation

Alors Śakra (Indra) et les autres dieux, alarmés au sommet du Meru, se rassemblèrent et délibérèrent entre eux d’un plan pour entraver son ascèse.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्/ततः इत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: then/thereupon)

• शक्रादयः: Śakra and others
• शक्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• संत्रस्ताः: frightened
• संत्रस्ताः: Kriya (State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + त्रस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवाः)

• मेरुमूर्धनि: on the summit of Meru
• मेरुमूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (मूर्धन् पुं), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मिलित्वा: having assembled
• मिलित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• चक्रिरे: they made/performed
• चक्रिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मन्त्रम्: a plan/counsel (mantra)
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• विघ्नकृते: for creating an obstacle
• विघ्नकृते: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न + कृ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (दत्तिवाचक)

• मिथः: among themselves
• मिथः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथः (अव्यय)
• Form: परस्परार्थक अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; contextually Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (earthly locus) / Meru (celestial locus)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Meru’s radiant summit, Indra and devas gather in a tense council, gesturing and whispering strategies; below (implied), the ascetic’s tejas rises like heat-haze or flame, reaching the heavens.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great tapas invites tests and obstacles; spiritual effort is often met with resistance from entrenched powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, since the gods react to the tapas being performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the devas’ deliberation to create a vighna (obstruction).