Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अथ तत्र गणाः सर्वे भृगिनंदिपुरःसराः । सोऽपि देवमुनिर्भीतस्तामुवाच सुरेश्वरीम्

Transliteration

atha tatra gaṇāḥ sarve bhṛginaṃdipuraḥsarāḥ | so'pi devamunirbhītastāmuvāca sureśvarīm

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവിടെ ഭൃഗിയും നന്ദിയും മുൻപന്തിയിൽ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് എല്ലാ ഗണങ്ങളും ഒന്നിച്ചു കൂടി; ആ ദേവമുനിയും ഭീതനായി ദേവേശ്വരിയായ ദേവിയെ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनन्तरार्थक-निपातः (then)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (locative adverb)

• गणाः: attendants/hosts
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• भृगिनन्दिपुरःसराः: those led by Bhṛginandī
• भृगिनन्दिपुरःसराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगि + नन्दि + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (ये भृगिनन्दी पुरःसरः यस्य/येषाम् = having Bhṛgi-nandī as leader)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपि-भावार्थक-निपातः (also/even)

• देवमुनिः: the divine sage
• देवमुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + मुनि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (देवः मुनिः)

• भीतः: afraid
• भीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भी (कृदन्त; √भी धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तम्; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सुरेश्वरीम्: the goddess, mistress of the gods
• सुरेश्वरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् ईश्वरी)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic speaker, contextually within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijas/ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened deva-muni stands before the radiant Goddess (Sureśvarī). Around them gather gaṇas—Nandin prominent, Bhṛgi also present—forming a protective semicircle amid a turbulent cosmic backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Bhṛgi
• Nandin
• Sureśvarī (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In crisis, even exalted beings take refuge in the Divine Mother, acknowledging her decisive power in cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the tīrtha-mahātmya storyline; the site connection is contextual and develops in subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse advances the mythic cause leading to a sacred-name/holy-site remembrance.