Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अहं तव वधार्थाय निर्मिता विबुधोत्तमैः । तस्मात्त्वां नाशयिष्यामि स्मरेष्टं यद्धृदि स्थितम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ tava vadhārthāya nirmitā vibudhottamaiḥ | tasmāttvāṃ nāśayiṣyāmi smareṣṭaṃ yaddhṛdi sthitam

Translation

‘വിബുധോത്തമന്മാർ നിന്റെ വധത്തിനായി തന്നെയാണ് എന്നെ സൃഷ്ടിച്ചത്; അതിനാൽ നിന്നെ—ഹൃദയത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന പ്രിയകാമനയോടുകൂടി—ഞാൻ നശിപ്പിക്കും.’

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• वधार्थाय: for (your) killing
• वधार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; वध + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (4th/Dative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (वधस्य अर्थः)

• निर्मिता: created
• निर्मिता: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√मा (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• विबुधोत्तमैः: by the best of the gods
• विबुधोत्तमैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; विबुध + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (विबुधेषु उत्तमाः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Avyaya (Causal/Inferential)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• नाशयिष्यामि: I will destroy
• नाशयिष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → नाशय (धातु-प्रयोग)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त (causative)

• स्मर-इष्टम्: the beloved of Smara (Kāma)
• स्मर-इष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर-इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; स्मर + इष्ट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (स्मरेण इष्टम्/स्मरस्य इष्टम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• हृदि: in (the) heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• स्थितम्: situated/remaining
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant divine feminine figure (or vow-empowered maiden revealed as divine) proclaims her origin from the gods; she stands poised to strike the asura, while a subtle heart-flame or knot symbolizes the ‘cherished desire’ to be destroyed along with him.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Vibudhas (gods)
• Mahiṣa (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power manifests to restore dharma; inner desire rooted in ego is also to be overcome, not merely external enemies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it is embedded in the Tīrthamāhātmya’s broader sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes divine intervention for dharma.