Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

येनाऽकरान्करोम्यद्य लोकांस्तस्याः प्रभावतः । साधयामि च दुर्गस्थाञ्छत्रून्भूरिबलान्वितान्

Transliteration

yenā'karānkaromyadya lokāṃstasyāḥ prabhāvataḥ | sādhayāmi ca durgasthāñchatrūnbhūribalānvitān

Translation

«Par sa puissance, dès aujourd’hui, je ferais que les mondes me versent tribut; et je soumettrais les ennemis retranchés dans des forteresses, fussent-ils appuyés par de vastes armées.»

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (instrumental: “by which/with which”)

• अकरान्: taxes, tributes
• अकरान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• करोमि: I make, I levy
• करोमि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: “today/now”)

• लोकान्: people/realms
• लोकान्: Karma (Object; people/realms taxed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रभावतः: due to (her) power
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थक (ablative used adverbially: “due to the power”)

• साधयामि: I subdue, accomplish
• साधयामि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: “and”)

• दुर्गस्थान्: situated in forts
• दुर्गस्थान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्ग + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (दुर्गे स्थाः = stationed in forts); विशेषण (qualifying शत्रून्)

• शत्रून्: enemies
• शत्रून्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• भूरिबलान्वितान्: endowed with great strength
• भूरिबलान्वितान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि + बल + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (भूरि बलं येषां तैः अन्विताः = endowed with much strength); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (qualifying शत्रून्)

Speaker

Bhūpati (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king boasts of making worlds pay tribute and defeating fortress-bound enemies by the cow’s power; his retinue appears energized, while the hermitage remains a calm counterpoint.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenu (implied)
• enemies in forts

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misusing sacred power for conquest and extraction (kara) leads away from dharma and invites downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the tīrtha context is background to the moral narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it expresses worldly motives that contrast with ascetic purpose.