Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे दैत्या निर्जिताः सुरसत्तमैः । दिशो जग्मुः परित्रस्ताः केचिन्मृत्युमुपागताः

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare daityā nirjitāḥ surasattamaiḥ | diśo jagmuḥ paritrastāḥ kecinmṛtyumupāgatāḥ

Translation

അതിനിടെ ദേവശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാർ ജയിച്ച ദൈത്യർ ഭീതിയോടെ എല്ലാ ദിക്കുകളിലേക്കും ഓടിപ്പോയി; അവരിൽ ചിലർ മരണത്തെ പ്രാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• etasmin: in this
• etasmin: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally)

• antare: in the interval / meanwhile
• antare: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• daityāḥ: the Daityas (demons)
• daityāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• nirjitāḥ: defeated
• nirjitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni√ji (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय) → nirjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying daityāḥ)

• surasattamaiḥ: by the best of the gods
• surasattamaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + sattama (प्रातिपदिक; घटित-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (surāṇāṃ sattamāḥ = best among the gods)

• diśaḥ: the directions
• diśaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• jagmuḥ: went
• jagmuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• paritrastāḥ: terrified
• paritrastāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari√tras (धातु) + kta → paritrasta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying daityāḥ)

• kecit: some (of them)
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cit (प्रातिपदिक; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• upāgatāḥ: reached / met (death)
• upāgatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa√gam (धातु) + kta → upāgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (kecit understood as subject)

Speaker

Narrator (purāṇic ākhyāna voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield-like celestial vista: devas radiant and composed; daityas scattered, fleeing to the horizons; some fallen, emphasizing the turning of fate.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Surasattamas (foremost Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma ultimately collapses—when divine order is restored, fear and downfall follow for aggressors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the broader māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a battlefield outcome in the narrative.