Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तिष्ठध्वमत्रैव रक्षार्थं नगरस्य च । शापव्याजेन युष्माकं वरोऽयं समुपस्थितः

Transliteration

tasmāttiṣṭhadhvamatraiva rakṣārthaṃ nagarasya ca | śāpavyājena yuṣmākaṃ varo'yaṃ samupasthitaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് നഗരത്തിന്റെ രക്ഷയ്ക്കായി നിങ്ങൾ ഇവിടെ തന്നേ നിലകൊള്ളുക. ശാപം എന്ന വ്യാജേന ഈ വരം നിങ്ങൾക്കു ലഭിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ablative used adverbially ‘therefore/from that’

• तिष्ठध्वम्: stay / stand
• तिष्ठध्वम्: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: here)

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘for the sake of protection’), used adverbially as purpose

• नगरस्य: of the city
• नगरस्य: Śeṣa (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• शापव्याजेन: by the pretext of a curse
• शापव्याजेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप + व्याज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘pretext of a curse’), instrumental ‘by/under the pretext’

• युष्माकम्: for you / of you
• युष्माकम्: Śeṣa (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; demonstrative qualifying ‘वरः’

• समुपस्थितः: has come / is present
• समुपस्थितः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate adjective (to ‘वरः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (past participle) ‘having arrived/present’

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (granting a protective mandate to local devīs/forces)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A commanding instruction: guardians or residents are told to remain in place to protect the city; a symbolic ‘curse’ scroll dissolves into a radiant boon, showing reversal of fortune.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What appears adverse (a curse) can conceal divine grace; sacred places are protected through divinely appointed guardians.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa sacred city itself is foregrounded as a protected dhāma-like space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it is a command establishing ongoing protective presence over the city.