Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

धृतायुधा गताः सर्वे युद्धार्थं यत्र सा पुरी । शक्रस्यासादिता तेन दानवेन बलीयसा

Transliteration

dhṛtāyudhā gatāḥ sarve yuddhārthaṃ yatra sā purī | śakrasyāsāditā tena dānavena balīyasā

Translation

Tous, portant les armes, se rendirent à cette cité pour le combat—cette même cité qu’avait assaillie ce puissant Dānava, adversaire de Śakra (Indra).

Word by Word

• धृत-आयुधाः: bearing weapons
• धृत-आयुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृत (कृदन्त/PPP, √धृ 'to hold') + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'whose weapons are held/borne'

• गताः: went
• गताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु; गत्यर्थे 'to go') + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) प्रयुक्तः क्रियापदवत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'went/had gone'

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• युद्ध-अर्थम्: for battle
• युद्ध-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/सम्बन्धबोधक) — 'where'

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देश

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शक्रस्य: of Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• आसादिता: assailed; attacked
• आसादिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु; आसादने 'to attack/assail') + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'assailed/attacked' (पुरी इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• दानवेन: by the demon
• दानवेन: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ-निर्देश (agent)

• बलीयसा: by the mightier (one)
• बलीयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक) → बलीयस् (तुलनात्मक/Comparative)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-रूपम् (comparative) — 'stronger/mightier'

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa speaking to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛ-gaṇa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Armed gaṇas march toward a besieged city; walls and gates visible; a mighty dānava’s shadow looms; the air is tense with impending clash.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Dānava (demonic adversary; contextually Andhaka)
• city/purī (unnamed in verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection of the righteous community is a dharmic imperative; divine assistance arises when order is threatened.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The city is not named in this verse; the tīrtha-identification lies in the broader chapter context rather than this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the armed march to defend the attacked realm.