Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततः शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैः शरैः कंकपतत्रिभिः । छेदयित्वेषुजालानि दैतेयान्निजघान सः

Transliteration

tataḥ śārṅgavinirmuktaiḥ śaraiḥ kaṃkapatatribhiḥ | chedayitveṣujālāni daiteyānnijaghāna saḥ

Translation

Alors, par des flèches décochées de Śārṅga, empennées de plumes de héron, il trancha les filets de traits et abattit les Daityas.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = तदनन्तरम् (then)

• शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैः: released from (the bow) Śārṅga
• शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शार्ङ्ग-विनिर्मुक्त (कृदन्त; शार्ङ्ग + वि-नि-मुच् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘शरैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः = ‘शार्ङ्गात् विनिर्मुक्तैः’ (released from Śārṅga bow)

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• कंकपतत्रिभिः: with heron-feathered (arrows)
• कंकपतत्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कङ्क-पतत्रि (प्रातिपदिक; कङ्क + पतत्रि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘शरैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः = ‘कङ्कः पतत्री येषां ते’ (having heron-feathers)

• छेदयित्वा: having cut
• छेदयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘छेदयित्वा’ (having cut); णिच् causative form implied in stem (छेदय-)

• इषुजालानि: nets/volleys of arrows
• इषुजालानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु-जाल (प्रातिपदिक; इषु + जाल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘इषूणां जालानि’

• दैतेयान्: the Daityas (demons)
• दैतेयान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैतेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• निजघान: he struck down; slew
• निजघान: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘नि-’ उपसर्गः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu drawing Śārṅga; a lattice of incoming missiles is sliced midair; heron-plumed arrows streak outward; Daityas fall as the battlefield clears.

Characters & Entities

• Śārṅga (Viṣṇu’s bow)
• Viṣṇu
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded by clarity and divine power: confusion (a ‘net’ of weapons) is cut through by higher discernment and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the chapter’s tīrtha-glorification through an illustrative battle episode; the site name is not stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.