Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

तत्र ध्यानस्थितं वृत्रं दूरस्थस्त्रिदशाधिपः । वज्रेण ताडयामास पलायनपरायणः

Transliteration

tatra dhyānasthitaṃ vṛtraṃ dūrasthastridaśādhipaḥ | vajreṇa tāḍayāmāsa palāyanaparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

वहाँ ध्यान में स्थित वृत्र को देखकर, दूर से ही त्रिदशाधिप ने वज्र से प्रहार किया—क्योंकि वह केवल पलायन में तत्पर था।

Word by Word

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

• ध्यान-स्थितम्: standing in meditation; absorbed in meditation
• ध्यान-स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् वृत्रम् इति; ‘ध्याने स्थितम्’

• वृत्रम्: Vṛtra
• वृत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दूरस्थः: standing far away
• दूरस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् त्रिदशाधिपः इति; ‘दूरे स्थितः’

• त्रिदश-अधिपः: lord of the gods (Indra)
• त्रिदश-अधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वज्रेण: with the thunderbolt
• वज्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताडयामास: struck; smote
• ताडयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect/परस्मैपद-परिप्रयोग), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); causative stem ताडय-

• पलायन-परायणः: intent on fleeing
• पलायन-परायणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायन (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् त्रिदशाधिपः इति; ‘पलायने परायणः’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator, implied continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛtra sits in deep meditation, still and radiant with ascetic power; Indra, at a distance, hurls/strikes with the blazing vajra, his posture angled as if ready to retreat; the forest-kṣetra is charged with silence and impending thunder.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛtra
• Śakra (Indra)
• Vajra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without inner steadiness falters; the verse contrasts fear-driven action with the image of meditative composure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this specific verse; it continues the narrative action following the Naimiṣa reference.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description of the encounter and the use of the vajra.