Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

कथंचिदपि सोऽभ्येति तत्सकाशं पुरंदरः । किंचिच्छिद्रं समासाद्य तत्प्रतापेन दह्यते

Transliteration

kathaṃcidapi so'bhyeti tatsakāśaṃ puraṃdaraḥ | kiṃcicchidraṃ samāsādya tatpratāpena dahyate

Translation

എങ്കിലും ഏതോ വിധത്തിൽ പുരന്ദരൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) അവന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ചെന്നു; പക്ഷേ ചെറിയൊരു വിടവ് കിട്ടിയതുമാത്രത്തിൽ തന്നെ (വൃത്രന്റെ) പ്രതാപത്തിൽ ദഗ്ധനായി।

Word by Word

• कथंचित्: somehow
• कथंचित्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘कथंचित्’ = somehow, by some means

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): emphasis/also/even

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अभ्येति: approaches
• अभ्येति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु) उपसर्ग: अभि
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अभि+इ’ = approaches/comes near

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण ‘सकाशम्’ इत्यस्य

• सकाशम्: near (to the presence)
• सकाशम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘सकाशम्’ = near/presence (as goal)

• पुरंदरः: Purandara (Indra)
• पुरंदरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बोधनसदृश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरंदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य नाम

• किंचित्: some
• किंचित्: Viśeṣaṇa (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indefinite particle): ‘some/a little’

• छिद्रम्: an opening
• छिद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘hole/opening’

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘समासाद्य’ = having reached/obtained

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-समर्थ, तृतीया (3rd) एकवचन-सम्बन्धः ‘प्रतापेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रतापेन: by (his) radiance
• प्रतापेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• दह्यते: is burned
• दह्यते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): is burned

Speaker

Narrative (contextual narrator; not explicitly marked in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra stealthily approaches; at the moment he finds a slight opening, Vṛtra’s blazing radiance erupts, scorching Indra—light overpowering weaponry.

Characters & Entities

• Purandara (Indra)
• Vṛtra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Raw power and ego-driven assault fail before concentrated spiritual potency (tejas); victory requires right means aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the chapter’s tīrtha-context emerges more explicitly in subsequent lines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates Indra’s failed approach due to Vṛtra’s tejas.