Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

त्रयस्त्रिंशत्समाख्याता एते ये सुरनायकाः । क्षेत्रेऽत्रैवास्थिता नित्यं दानवानां वधाय च

Transliteration

trayastriṃśatsamākhyātā ete ye suranāyakāḥ | kṣetre'traivāsthitā nityaṃ dānavānāṃ vadhāya ca

Translation

« Ce sont les chefs des dieux, connus sous le nom des Trente-Trois. Ils demeurent ici même, en ce champ sacré, à jamais, et aussi pour l’anéantissement des Dānavas. »

Word by Word

• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: thirty-three
• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयस् + त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यावाचक), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विशेषणरूपेण ‘त्रयस्त्रिंशत्’ = 33

• समाख्याता: are called/known
• समाख्याता: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाख्यात (कृदन्त; √ख्या धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुरनायकाः: leaders of the gods
• सुरनायकाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणां नायकाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• आस्थिताः: stationed/abiding
• आस्थिताः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु, आ-उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative)

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वधाय: for the slaying
• वधाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative frame in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly of the Thirty-Three gods stationed in a radiant sacred field, weapons and emblems visible, with subdued demonic silhouettes at the periphery being repelled.

Characters & Entities

• Trayastriṃśat (Thirty-Three Devas)
• Sura-nāyakāḥ
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as a living sacred zone where divine presence continually safeguards dharma and subdues demonic tendencies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra / Amareśvara-kuṇḍa Māhātmya context within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the perpetual divine presence of the Thirty-Three at the kṣetra.