Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अथ ते दानवाः संख्ये शक्रेण विनिपातिताः । विद्याबलेन ताञ्छुक्रः सजीवान्कुरुते पुनः

Transliteration

atha te dānavāḥ saṃkhye śakreṇa vinipātitāḥ | vidyābalena tāñchukraḥ sajīvānkurute punaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) വീഴ്ത്തിയ ആ ദാനവരെ ശുക്രാചാര്യൻ തന്റെ വിദ്യാബലത്താൽ വീണ്ടും ജീവിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (those)

• दानवाः: Dānavas
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karana/Agent-in-passive (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतुः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनिपातिताः: struck down/slain
• विनिपातिताः: Karma (Object affected/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु) + वि- (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (दानवाः इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• विद्याबलेन: by the power of knowledge/magic
• विद्याबलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (विद्यायाः बलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• शुक्रः: Śukra (preceptor of demons)
• शुक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सजीवान्: alive
• सजीवान्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + jīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (स + जीवान्), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (तान् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• कुरुते: makes/causes
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb ‘again’)

Speaker

Narrator (speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārātīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the battlefield, fallen Dānavas are revived: Śukra, the asura-preceptor, performs a vidyā-powered restoration, bringing the slain back to life.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Śukra
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma presents vidyā (sacred knowledge) as a real power; yet the Adhyāya will distinguish worldly revival from the final gati granted by tīrtha and righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhārātīrtha is the Adhyāya’s focal tīrtha; this verse supplies the battle setting that leads to the tīrtha teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse references vidyā-bala (mantric/ascetic potency) as operative.