Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नमोऽस्तु सर्वरुद्रेभ्यो ये स्थिता वारुणीं दिशम् । रक्षंति सर्वलोकांश्च पिशाचानां दुरात्मनाम्

Transliteration

namo'stu sarvarudrebhyo ye sthitā vāruṇīṃ diśam | rakṣaṃti sarvalokāṃśca piśācānāṃ durātmanām

Translation

Hommage à tous les Rudras qui se tiennent dans le quartier de Varuṇa (l’Occident), et qui protègent tous les mondes des piśācas aux âmes mauvaises.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• astu: let it be
• astu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• sarva-rudrebhyaḥ: to all the Rudras
• sarva-rudrebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative; also Dative plural possible by form), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वे रुद्राः)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• sthitāḥ: standing/abiding
• sthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि

• vāruṇīm: western (Varuṇa's)
• vāruṇīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāruṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• diśam: direction
• diśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• rakṣanti: they protect
• rakṣanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• sarva-lokān: all worlds/people
• sarva-lokān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वे लोकाः)

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

• piśācānām: of piśācas (ghouls)
• piśācānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśāca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• dur-ātmanām: of evil-souled (ones)
• dur-ātmanām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dus (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुरात्मानः) विशेषण

Speaker

Tāpasas (ascetics)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudras as vigilant guardians in the western sky, holding weapons and tridents; below, shadowy piśāca figures recoil at the boundary of a luminous protective circle around the worlds and the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Rudras
• Varuṇa
• Piśācas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva divinities are guardians of space and society, protecting beings from harmful, impure forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The stuti supports the tīrtha’s sanctity by invoking protective Rudras; this verse itself does not specify the site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of salutations to Rudras as protective invocation; no separate rite is detailed.