Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अजारूपान्स्वयं पश्चाद्यष्टिमादाय रक्षति । एवं तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य वर्तमानस्य भूतले

Transliteration

ajārūpānsvayaṃ paścādyaṣṭimādāya rakṣati | evaṃ tasya narendrasya vartamānasya bhūtale

Translation

Ensuite, prenant un bâton, il les garda lui-même, apparaissant sous la forme d’un bouc. Ainsi en allait-il pour ce roi, tant qu’il demeurait sur la terre.

Word by Word

• ajā-rūpān: in the form of goats
• ajā-rūpān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajā (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — तत्पुरुषः (‘अजायाḥ/अज-रूपः’ = goat-formed); विशेषण (तान्/व्याधीन् इत्यर्थे)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘oneself’

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘afterwards’

• yaṣṭim: staff, stick
• yaṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having taken’

• rakṣati: protects/guards
• rakṣati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक) — ‘thus/in this manner’

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• narendrasya: of the king
• narendrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (‘नराणाम् इन्द्रः’ = king of men)

• vartamānasya: who was staying/being present
• vartamānasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — ‘being/remaining’ (qualifying narendrasya)

• bhūtale: on the earth
• bhūtale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — तत्पुरुषः (‘भूः तलं’ = surface of earth)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, transformed or disguised as a goat-headed/ goat-formed guardian, holds a staff and watches over restrained disease-forms or vulnerable subjects; the scene blends pastoral imagery with royal authority.

Characters & Entities

• narendra (king)
• ajā-rūpa (goat form)
• yaṣṭi (staff)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma may be protected through humble forms and vigilant discipline—power is shown as service, not display.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line does not identify a particular tīrtha; it reinforces the episode’s dharmic protection theme within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it narrates protective action and vigilant guardianship.