Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अथ तीक्ष्णैः शरैर्दैत्या निहता दानवास्तथा । एके पंचत्वमापन्ना गताश्चान्य इतस्ततः

Transliteration

atha tīkṣṇaiḥ śarairdaityā nihatā dānavāstathā | eke paṃcatvamāpannā gatāścānya itastataḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള അമ്പുകളുടെ പ്രഹാരത്തിൽ ദൈത്യരും ദാനവരും വീണു; ചിലർ മരണത്തെ പ്രാപിച്ചു, ചിലർ എല്ലാദിക്കുകളിലേക്കും ഓടിപ്പോയി।

Word by Word

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable; sequential particle “then/now”)

• तीक्ष्णैः: with sharp
• तीक्ष्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• शरैः: arrows
• शरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• दैत्याः: the Daityas (demons)
• दैत्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• निहताः: were slain
• निहताः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग) → निहत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (PPP agreeing with subject)

• दानवाः: the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (indeclinable; “thus/also”)

• एके: some
• एके: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural; “some”)

• पञ्चत्वम्: the state of being five (death)
• पञ्चत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आपन्नाः: having reached
• आपन्नाः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आपद् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past active participle in sense); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (agreeing with ‘एके’)

• गताः: went
• गताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction “and”)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural; “others”)

• इतस्: from here/this way
• इतस्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place “from here/this way”)

• ततः: from there/that way
• ततः: Adhikarana (Locative/temporal sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/क्रमवाचक (adverb “from there/then”)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield where daityas and dānavas fall pierced by sharp arrows; some lie lifeless while others scatter in panic across the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• daityas
• dānavas
• Devī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma cannot stand before divine guardianship; in sacred narratives, the fall of the wicked affirms the security of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, but the specific location is not mentioned in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the battle narrative.