Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । एवं ज्ञात्वा सहस्राक्ष मम वाक्यं समाचर । यदि ते वल्लभास्ते च ये हता रणमूर्धनि

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | evaṃ jñātvā sahasrākṣa mama vākyaṃ samācara | yadi te vallabhāste ca ye hatā raṇamūrdhani

Translation

വിഷ്ണു അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ സഹസ്രാക്ഷ (ഇന്ദ്രാ), ഇതറിഞ്ഞ് എന്റെ വചനം അനുഷ്ഠിക്ക. നിനക്കു പ്രിയരായവർ യുദ്ധത്തിന്റെ അഗ്രഭാഗത്ത് ഹതരായിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ…

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• सहस्राक्ष: O thousand-eyed (Indra)
• सहस्राक्ष: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement; instruction
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• समाचर: carry out; practice
• समाचर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वल्लभाः: beloved ones; dear (people)
• वल्लभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• हताः: killed; slain
• हताः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• रणमूर्धनि: on the battlefield
• रणमूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (battle-head = battlefield); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā (Gaya-śrāddha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Sahasrākṣa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu addresses Indra with a firm, compassionate command, evoking the aftermath of battle and the duty to uplift the slain through sacred rites.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• Battlefield (raṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right knowledge must become right practice: divine counsel is to be enacted, especially for the welfare of the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indra is instructed to follow Viṣṇu’s prescribed śrāddha-related practice for those killed in battle.