Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

एषा कृत्या वधार्थाय तव रुद्रेण निर्मिता । यैषा सिंहसमारूढा चक्रांकितकरा स्थिता

Transliteration

eṣā kṛtyā vadhārthāya tava rudreṇa nirmitā | yaiṣā siṃhasamārūḍhā cakrāṃkitakarā sthitā

Translation

“ഇത് കൃത്യാ—നിന്റെ വധത്തിനായി രുദ്രൻ സൃഷ്ടിച്ചതാണ്. ഇത് സിംഹാരൂഢയായി നില്ക്കുന്നു; കൈയിൽ ചക്രചിഹ്നം അങ്കിതമാണ്.”

Word by Word

• एषा: this (woman/entity)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — “this (she)”

• कृत्या: kṛtyā (magical being)
• कृत्या: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — “a magical creation/rite-personified (kṛtyā)”

• वधार्थाय: for killing
• वधार्थाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — “वधस्य अर्थः” → “for killing” (purpose dative)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive: “of you/your”

• रुद्रेण: by Rudra
• रुद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental: “by Rudra”

• निर्मिता: created
• निर्मिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (एषा/कृत्या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + मा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → निर्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः — “created/made”

• या: who/which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — relative pronoun “who/which”

• एषा: this (same one)
• एषा: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — correlative “this (same)”

• सिंहसमारूढा: mounted on a lion
• सिंहसमारूढा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + समारूढ (सम्+आ+रुह् धातु + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सप्तमी/उपपद-तत्पुरुषार्थे — “सिंहे समारूढा” (mounted on a lion)

• चक्राङ्कितकरा: with hands marked by a discus
• चक्राङ्कितकरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (अङ्क् धातु + क्त) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः — “चक्रेण अङ्किताः कराः यस्याः सा” (she whose hands are marked with a discus)

• स्थिता: standing
• स्थिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः — “standing/remaining”

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (addressing Andhaka)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Andhaka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrifying yet majestic kṛtyā manifests: a fierce feminine figure mounted on a lion, one hand bearing a cakra-mark (or holding a discus), eyes blazing; the air crackles with mantra-fire; Andhaka recoils as Nārada points to her as Rudra’s creation.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Andhaka
• Kṛtyā
• Lion (vāhana motif)
• Cakra (discus emblem)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma invites divinely sanctioned counter-force; Rudra’s śakti manifests to restore cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse; it contributes to the broader Tīrthamāhātmya narrative tapestry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse alludes to a kṛtyā (rite-born force) but does not prescribe a public ritual for devotees.