Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथा सौ पार्थिवः क्रुद्धः स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः । युद्धाय निर्ययौ स्थानान्मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तने

Transliteration

athā sau pārthivaḥ kruddhaḥ svasainyaparivāritaḥ | yuddhāya niryayau sthānānmṛtyuṃ kṛtvā nivartane

Translation

Alors ce roi, courroucé et entouré de ses propres troupes, sortit de son camp pour le combat, résolu à faire de la mort le prix de toute retraite.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तर (discourse particle: 'then/now')

• asau: that (person); he
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pārthivaḥ: the king
• pārthivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kruddhaḥ: angry
• kruddhaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krudh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन; 'angered'

• sva-sainya-parivāritaḥ: surrounded by his own army
• sva-sainya-parivāritaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक) + parivārita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (surrounded by his army)

• yuddhāya: for battle
• yuddhāya: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• niryayau: went out; marched forth
• niryayau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• sthānāt: from (his) place
• sthānāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), 'having made'

• nivartane: in retreat; in turning back
• nivartane: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivartana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative: 'in retreat/turning back')

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembled sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king rides out with a full retinue—elephants, horses, banners—face set in wrathful determination; weapons gleam; the city gates open; the road to battle stretches ahead like fate.

Characters & Entities

• pārthiva (king)
• sainyam (army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣatriya duty emphasizes courage and steadfastness; yet such resolve must be guided by dharma and wise judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of the narrative frame within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.