Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

नागानां परमं कृत्यं कृतं ते भैमिनंदन । पलाशीनाम दैत्योयं नीतो यत्सानुगो यमम्

Transliteration

nāgānāṃ paramaṃ kṛtyaṃ kṛtaṃ te bhaiminaṃdana | palāśīnāma daityoyaṃ nīto yatsānugo yamam

Translation

“ഹേ ഭൈമിനന്ദനാ! നീ നാഗങ്ങൾക്ക് പരമമായ ഉപകാരം ചെയ്തു; ‘പാലാശീ’ എന്ന ഈ ദൈത്യൻ തന്റെ അനുചരന്മാരോടുകൂടെ യമധാമത്തിലേക്ക് അയക്കപ്പെട്ടു.”

Word by Word

• नागानाम्: of the Nāgas
• नागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कृत्यम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• कृत्यम्: duty; task
• कृत्यम्: Karta/Predicate nominal (in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृतम्: has been done
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive predicate)

• ते: by you; your
• ते: Kartṛ (Agent in passive; expressed as genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘by you/your’ sense in passive construction

• भैमिनन्दन: O son of Bhīmī (Draupadī)
• भैमिनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैमि (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भैम्याः नन्दनः)

• पलाशी: Palāśī
• पलाशी: Karta (Subject of ‘nītaḥ’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाशिन्/पलाशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Viśeṣaṇa-dyotaka (Name marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक/quotative ‘named’)

• दैत्यः: a Daitya (demon)
• दैत्यः: Apposition (to Palāśī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Apposition/Deictic subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नीतः: has been led
• नीतः: Kriyā (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• यत्: since; that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्ययवत् (relative pronoun used as connector), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here: ‘since/that’ sense

• सानुगः: together with his followers
• सानुगः: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स + अनुग’ = ‘with followers’

• यमम्: to Yama
• यमम्: Karma (Destination/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Nāgas (led by Vāsuki)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsuki (or a nāga elder) speaks with palms joined, addressing ‘Bhaiminandana’; behind them lie fallen asuras, with Palāśin distinguished among them; the hero stands composed, receiving praise.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgāḥ
• Vāsuki
• Bhīma
• Suhṛdaya
• Palāśī
• Daitya
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protecting the oppressed and destroying adharma is praised as the highest service, worthy of divine acknowledgement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it focuses on the defeat of a Daitya troubling the Nāgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a commendation of a heroic, dharmic act.