Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं शक्रादयो देवा जितास्ते तु रणाजिरे । महिषेण ततो राज्यं त्रैलोक्येऽपि चकार सः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ śakrādayo devā jitāste tu raṇājire | mahiṣeṇa tato rājyaṃ trailokye'pi cakāra saḥ

Translation

ಸೂತನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಈ ರೀತಿ ಯುದ್ಧಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದ್ರಾದಿ ದೇವರುಗಳು ಸೋಲಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟರು; ನಂತರ ಮಹಿಷನು ತ್ರಿಲೋಕಗಳ ಮೇಲೂ ತನ್ನ ರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿದನು।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adverbial (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• शक्रादयः: Indra and others
• शक्रादयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (शक्रः आदिः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; शक्रादयः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन

• जिताः: were defeated/conquered
• जिताः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) → जित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावे (having been conquered)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; देवाः इत्यस्य पुनरुक्ति

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• रणाजिरे: on the battlefield
• रणाजिरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रणाजिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• महिषेण: by Mahīṣa (the buffalo-demon)
• महिषेण: Karana (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण/कर्ता-हेतु), एकवचन; कर्तृकरण-भावे (by Mahīṣa)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक अव्यय (then)

• राज्यम्: sovereignty/kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—द्विगु (त्रयः लोकाः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावक अव्यय (also/even)

• चकार: made/established
• चकार: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield where Indra and devas are routed; Mahiṣa stands triumphant, receiving symbols of sovereignty over the three worlds; devas retreat in disarray, clouds darken over svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas
• Mahiṣa (Mahīṣāsura)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power can temporarily tilt toward adharma, setting the stage for divine restoration; Purāṇic history teaches patience and faith in dharma’s eventual reassertion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces a narrative transition within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.