Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

तं श्रुत्वा निहतं तेन चंडालं निजकिंकरम् । देवशर्मातिकोपेन तद्वधार्थमुपागतः

Transliteration

taṃ śrutvā nihataṃ tena caṃḍālaṃ nijakiṃkaram | devaśarmātikopena tadvadhārthamupāgataḥ

Translation

Apprenant que son propre serviteur, un caṇḍāla, avait été tué par lui, Devaśarmā, saisi d’une colère farouche, s’y rendit avec l’intention de le mettre à mort.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः (having heard)

• निहतम्: killed/slain
• निहतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• चण्डालम्: the caṇḍāla (outcaste)
• चण्डालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

• निजकिंकरम्: his own servant
• निजकिंकरम्: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (निजः किंकरः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• देवशर्मा: Devaśarman
• देवशर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular)

• अतिकोपेन: with great anger
• अतिकोपेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/हेतु-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (अति-कोप); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तद्वधार्थम्: for his killing
• तद्वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् + वध + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (तस्य वधस्य अर्थः); द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् प्रयुक्तम् (for the purpose of killing him)

• उपागतः: arrived/came
• उपागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) परस्मैपद-भावे; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (he) came/arrived

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devaśarmā, furious, strides forward with relatives gathering behind, intent on killing the offender; tension thickens in a sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Devaśarmā
• caṇḍāla
• kiṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Retaliatory anger, even when sparked by loss, can pull one deeper into adharma; Purāṇic narratives often pivot here toward recognition of higher truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but the location is not explicitly stated in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.