Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

जघान पादघातेन दक्षिणेनेतरेण तम् । अब्रवीन्मम वध्यस्त्वं यन्मच्छत्रुं जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

jaghāna pādaghātena dakṣiṇenetareṇa tam | abravīnmama vadhyastvaṃ yanmacchatruṃ janārdanam

Translation

Il le frappa d’un coup de pied—tantôt du droit, tantôt de l’autre—et dit : «Tu mérites la mort, puisque tu honores Janārdana, mon ennemi».

Word by Word

• जघान: struck; smote
• जघान: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• पादघातेन: with a kick; by foot-strike
• पादघातेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Determinative; पादेन घातः), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणेन: with the right (foot)
• दक्षिणेन: Visheshana (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इतरेण: with the other
• इतरेण: Visheshana (Qualifier; paired with dakṣiṇena)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वध्यः: to be killed; killable
• वध्यः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्तार्थ: वध्-योग्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Addressee as subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: since; because
• यत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (relative particle), हेत्वर्थे/यतः-अर्थे (introducing reason: since/because)

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitival sense: my), अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (as compound member)

• शत्रुम्: enemy
• शत्रुम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object; apposition to śatrum)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णोर्नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vṛka (contextual, addressing Sāṃkṛti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ (addressed audience of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A violent assailant kicks a calm worshipper; the victim remains composed, suggesting unseen sacred protection; tension between brute force and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛka
• Sāṃkṛti
• Janārdana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hatred toward another’s chosen deity is condemned implicitly; violence born of sectarian pride leads to immediate ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but it does not specify the tīrtha’s name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records an act of aggression and a hostile declaration.