Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ईतिनाशाय तत्रैव जपेद्देवव्रतं नरः । ततः संकीर्त्तना देव ईतयो यांति संक्षयम्

Transliteration

ītināśāya tatraiva japeddevavrataṃ naraḥ | tataḥ saṃkīrttanā deva ītayo yāṃti saṃkṣayam

Translation

Pour anéantir les calamités et les pestes, l’homme doit réciter sur-le-champ le Devavrata; par cette louange et cette récitation, les afflictions s’éteignent et vont à leur fin.

Word by Word

• ईति-नाशाय: for the destruction of calamities/pests
• ईति-नाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईति (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/dative), एकवचन; समासः: ईतेः नाशः → ईतिनाश; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देव-व्रतम्: the ‘devavrata’ (name of a mantra/vow)
• देव-व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: देवस्य व्रतम् (determinative)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं/तस्मात् (then/thereafter)

• संकीर्तनात्: from/through the chanting
• संकीर्तनात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ पञ्चमी (by/through chanting)

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative)

• ईतयः: calamities/pests
• ईतयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• संक्षयम्: to destruction
• संक्षयम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (goal as object)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gathering at the tīrtha performs Devavrata recitation; dark miasma-like forms symbolizing pestilence dissipate; lamps and water offerings create a protective circle.

Characters & Entities

• Devavrata
• Īti (calamity/pestilence)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Collective and personal well-being are tied to devotion—praise and japa are framed as dharmic remedies to adversity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the efficacy is explicitly linked to practice performed ‘tatraiva’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa/saṅkīrtana of the Devavrata for the cessation of ītis (calamities/pestilences).