Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अन्धक उवाच । निर्विण्णोऽस्मि सुरश्रेष्ठ त्रिशूलाऽग्रं समाश्रितः । तस्मात्सूदय मां येन द्रुतं स्यान्मे व्यथाक्षयः

Transliteration

andhaka uvāca | nirviṇṇo'smi suraśreṣṭha triśūlā'graṃ samāśritaḥ | tasmātsūdaya māṃ yena drutaṃ syānme vyathākṣayaḥ

Translation

ಅಂಧಕನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹೇ ಸುರಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠಾ! ನಾನು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ವಿಣ್ಣನಾಗಿ ತ್ರಿಶೂಲದ ಅಗ್ರವನ್ನು ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸು; ನನ್ನ ವ್ಯಥೆ ಶೀಘ್ರ ಕ್ಷಯವಾಗಲಿ.

Word by Word

• andhakaḥ: Andhaka
• andhakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nirviṇṇaḥ: despondent, weary
• nirviṇṇaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir+vid (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sura-śreṣṭha: O best of the gods
• sura-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सुराणां श्रेष्ठः)

• triśūla-agram: the tip of the trident
• triśūla-agram: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (त्रिशूलस्य अग्रं)

• samāśritaḥ: having taken refuge (clinging)
• samāśritaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam+ā+śri (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत पञ्चमी-रूप (therefore/from that); हेत्वर्थे

• sūdaya: kill
• sūdaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sūd (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/उपायवाचक (by which)

• drutam: quickly
• drutam: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: drutam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (quickly)

• syāt: may be, might become
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive)/चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of me)

• vyathā-kṣayaḥ: cessation of pain
• vyathā-kṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyathā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (व्यथायाः क्षयः)

Speaker

Andhaka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (addressed by Andhaka)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Andhaka, wounded and suspended on the trident tip, face drawn with exhaustion, hands clasped in desperate supplication toward Śiva below; the sky emphasizes isolation; Śiva listens, unmoved yet compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Śiva
• Trident (Triśūla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering can become a turning point toward surrender, humility, and the desire for liberation from inner torment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named location appears; the verse is part of a sacred-story sequence embedded in the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a personal appeal, not a ritual instruction.