Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तेषां त्रैलोक्यराज्यार्थं मिथो जज्ञे महाहवः । तत्र शक्रेण ते दैत्याः संग्रामे विनिपातिताः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ trailokyarājyārthaṃ mitho jajñe mahāhavaḥ | tatra śakreṇa te daityāḥ saṃgrāme vinipātitāḥ

Translation

Pour la souveraineté des trois mondes, une grande guerre éclata entre eux. Dans ce combat, ces Daityas furent abattus par Śakra (Indra).

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• त्रैलोक्य-राज्य-अर्थम्: for the sake of sovereignty over the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य-राज्य-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (trailokyasya rājya-artham)

• मिथः: mutually, with one another
• मिथः: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), परस्परार्थक-अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

• जज्ञे: arose/occurred
• जज्ञे: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• महाहवः: a great battle
• महाहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् हवः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• दैत्याः: Daityas (demons)
• दैत्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विनिपातिताः: were struck down, slain
• विनिपातिताः: Karma (Patient; passive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नि-पत् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial battlefield: Indra (Śakra) with vajra and radiant armor strikes down assembled Daityas amid swirling dust, banners, and fallen weapons; the scene foreshadows a nearby sacred field where later tapas will occur.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Daityas
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire for dominion (rājya) fuels conflict; Purāṇas use such wars to highlight the need for dharma, restraint, and divine alignment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides mythic causation that later connects to the chapter’s kṣetra and its religious merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the cosmic battle outcome.