Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तपसि संस्थे तु हता इंद्रेण दानवाः । वंशोच्छेदे समापन्ने दानवानां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

tasmiṃstapasi saṃsthe tu hatā iṃdreṇa dānavāḥ | vaṃśocchede samāpanne dānavānāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

അവൻ ആ തപസ്സിൽ സ്ഥാപിതനായിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ ഇന്ദ്രൻ ദാനവരെ വധിച്ചു. മഹാത്മാക്കളായ ദാനവരുടെ വംശം നാശത്തിന്റെ വക്കിലെത്തി.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• तपसि: in austerity/penance
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• संस्थे: when (it was) undertaken/established
• संस्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) → संस्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘स्थिते’ (being established/engaged)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• हताः: killed/slain
• हताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• इन्द्रेण: by Indra
• इन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दानवाः: the Danavas (demons)
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• वंशोच्छेदे: in the destruction of the lineage
• वंशोच्छेदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश + उच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वंशस्य उच्छेदः)

• समापन्ने: when (it was) reached/occurred
• समापन्ने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आपद् (धातु) → समापन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; भूतकृदन्त (past active participle/कृत), ‘प्राप्ते’ (having occurred)

• दानवानाम्: of the Danavas
• दानवानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled
• महात्मनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दानवानाम्)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split scene: in the foreground Vṛtra as an ascetic absorbed in tapas; in the distance Indra and devas slay dānavas, with banners, thunderbolts, and fallen warriors—suggesting impending extinction of a lineage.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dānavas
• Vṛtra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power and victory in Purāṇic narrative are shown as shifting with cosmic order; even mighty clans can face decline when opposed by divinely sanctioned force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is narrative (itihāsa-style) within Tīrthamāhātmya; no specific tīrtha is named in the line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as an ongoing spiritual practice, though no specific rite is detailed here.