Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततोऽवध्या भविष्यंति तेऽपि सर्वे यथा वयम् । तस्मादत्रैव तिष्ठामस्त्रयस्त्रिंशत्प्रनायकाः

Transliteration

tato'vadhyā bhaviṣyaṃti te'pi sarve yathā vayam | tasmādatraiva tiṣṭhāmastrayastriṃśatpranāyakāḥ

Translation

«Alors eux aussi deviendront invincibles, tout comme nous. C’est pourquoi demeurons ici même, nous, les chefs des Trente-Trois (dieux)».

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं/तस्मात् (thereupon/then)

• अवध्याः: invulnerable
• अवध्याः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; 'ते (दानवाः)' इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषण (invulnerable/not to be slain)

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; 'ते' विशेषण (all)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just like)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from that reason)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Emphasis (Avadharana/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (indeed/only)

• तिष्ठामः: we stay, we stand
• तिष्ठामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्-प्रनायकाः: leaders of the thirty-three (gods)
• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्-प्रनायकाः: Karta (Appositive subject/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयस् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; संख्यापूर्वपद: त्रयस्त्रिंशतां प्रनायकाः = 33 leaders); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; 'वयम्' इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

Speaker

Devas (collective counsel)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Thirty-three deva-leaders stand firm, declaring they will stay at the kṣetra so dānavas do not gain invulnerability by worshipping the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Trayastrinśat (Thirty-three Devas)
• Dānavāḥ
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power arises from devotion; hence dharma requires responsible stewardship of sacred sources of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa kṣetra where the Amara-liṅga stands and must be protected.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on remaining to guard the liṅga and kṣetra.