Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यत्र ते दानवा हृष्टाः स्थिताः शक्रपदे शुभे । स्वर्गभोगसमायुक्ता नन्दनांतर्व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

yatra te dānavā hṛṣṭāḥ sthitāḥ śakrapade śubhe | svargabhogasamāyuktā nandanāṃtarvyavasthitāḥ

Translation

Là, les Dānavas, tout joyeux, se tenaient dans l’heureux domaine de la souveraineté de Śakra ; jouissant des plaisirs célestes et établis au cœur de Nandana, le bosquet du ciel.

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध) = relative adverb ‘where’

• te: those/they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural, masc.)

• dānavāḥ: demons (Dānavas)
• dānavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural, masc.)

• hṛṣṭāḥ: delighted
• hṛṣṭāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √hṛṣ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Past participle; Nom. pl. masc.)

• sthitāḥ: standing, stationed
• sthitāḥ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Past participle; Nom. pl. masc.)

• śakra-pade: in the seat/realm of Indra
• śakra-pade: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) ‘शक्रस्य पदे’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Loc. sg. neut.)

• śubhe: auspicious, splendid
• śubhe: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; ‘śakrapade’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Loc. sg. neut.; adjective)

• svarga-bhoga-samāyuktāḥ: endowed with heavenly enjoyments
• svarga-bhoga-samāyuktāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक) + samāyukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; sam-ā-√yuj)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; ‘स्वर्गभोगैः समायुक्ताः’ (instrumental sense); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nom. pl. masc.)

• nandana-antar: inside Nandana (garden)
• nandana-antar: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandana (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-समर्थः) ‘नन्दनस्य अन्तरम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Loc. sg. neut.)

• vyavasthitāḥ: situated, settled
• vyavasthitāḥ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Past participle; Nom. pl. masc.)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dānavas luxuriate in Indra’s domain—gardens of Nandana, jeweled pavilions, celestial trees—appearing jubilant while occupying the seat of Śakra.

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Śakra (Indra)
• Nandana (celestial garden)
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even heavenly domains can be disrupted when adharma gains ground, setting the stage for restoration through divinely guided action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse shifts to celestial geography (Śakra’s realm and Nandana) rather than naming an earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides narrative setting for the ensuing confrontation.