Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

स्वल्पक्रोधसमाविष्टं द्विजाश्चक्रुस्तमं कितम् । चक्रं च वामभागेषु शूलं पार्श्वे च दक्षिणे

Transliteration

svalpakrodhasamāviṣṭaṃ dvijāścakrustamaṃ kitam | cakraṃ ca vāmabhāgeṣu śūlaṃ pārśve ca dakṣiṇe

Translation

Légèrement saisis de colère, les dvija (brāhmaṇa) le marquèrent de signes : un disque sur le côté gauche et un trident sur le flanc droit.

Word by Word

• स्वल्पक्रोधसमाविष्टम्: possessed by slight anger
• स्वल्पक्रोधसमाविष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प-क्रोध-सम्-आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वल्पः क्रोधः येन समाविष्टः) विशेषणम् (तम्)

• द्विजाः: the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चक्रुः: they made/did
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कितम्: wretched/despicable
• कितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तम्); ‘despised/mean’ (lexical)

• चक्रम्: discus
• चक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• वामभागेषु: on the left sides/parts
• वामभागेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम-भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वामः भागः)

• शूलम्: trident/spear
• शूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पार्श्वे: on the side
• पार्श्वे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• दक्षिणे: on the right (side)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; दिशि/पार्श्ववाचक

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrtha-māhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas, mildly angered, inscribe/mark a bull with a discus emblem on its left side and a trident emblem on its right flank—an extraordinary rite-like act.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• cakra
• śūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights Hari–Hara unity through emblems (cakra and śūla), suggesting divine protection and sacral identification within a tīrtha narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger adhyāya belongs to a Reva/Śālagrāma-associated tīrtha context, though the verse itself focuses on the act of marking rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it narrates a symbolic act of marking with divine insignia (cakra/śūla).