Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततः शक्रादयो देवाः संत्रस्ता मेरुमूर्धनि । मिलित्वा चक्रिरे मंत्रं तस्य विघ्नकृते मिथः

Transliteration

tataḥ śakrādayo devāḥ saṃtrastā merumūrdhani | militvā cakrire maṃtraṃ tasya vighnakṛte mithaḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട് മേരുശിഖരത്തിൽ ശക്രൻ മുതലായ ദേവന്മാർ ഭീതരായി ഒന്നിച്ചു കൂടി, അവന്റെ തപസ്സിന് വിഘ്നം വരുത്താനുള്ള ഉപായം പരസ്പരം ആലോചിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्/ततः इत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: then/thereupon)

• शक्रादयः: Śakra and others
• शक्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• संत्रस्ताः: frightened
• संत्रस्ताः: Kriya (State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + त्रस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (देवाः)

• मेरुमूर्धनि: on the summit of Meru
• मेरुमूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (मूर्धन् पुं), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मिलित्वा: having assembled
• मिलित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• चक्रिरे: they made/performed
• चक्रिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मन्त्रम्: a plan/counsel (mantra)
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• विघ्नकृते: for creating an obstacle
• विघ्नकृते: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न + कृ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (दत्तिवाचक)

• मिथः: among themselves
• मिथः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथः (अव्यय)
• Form: परस्परार्थक अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; contextually Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (earthly locus) / Meru (celestial locus)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Meru’s radiant summit, Indra and devas gather in a tense council, gesturing and whispering strategies; below (implied), the ascetic’s tejas rises like heat-haze or flame, reaching the heavens.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great tapas invites tests and obstacles; spiritual effort is often met with resistance from entrenched powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, since the gods react to the tapas being performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the devas’ deliberation to create a vighna (obstruction).