Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कंचिदुपायं मे तद्वधार्थं प्रकीर्तय । यथा शक्नोमि तत्सोढुं तेजस्तस्य दुरात्मनः

Transliteration

tasmātkaṃcidupāyaṃ me tadvadhārthaṃ prakīrtaya | yathā śaknomi tatsoḍhuṃ tejastasya durātmanaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് അവന്റെ വധത്തിനുള്ള ഏതെങ്കിലും ഉപായം എനിക്കു പ്രസ്താവിക്കൂ; ആ ദുഷ്ടാത്മാവിന്റെ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന തേജസ്സിനെ ഞാൻ സഹിക്കുവാൻ കഴിയേണ്ടതിന്ന്.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् (पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाववत्): ‘therefore/from that’

• कंचित्: some
• कंचित्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित (indefinite) ‘some’

• उपायम्: means/strategy
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मे: for me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of me/for me’ (genitive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-समर्थ, द्वितीया-सम्बन्धः ‘वधार्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वधार्थम्: for (his) killing
• वधार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘वधस्य अर्थः’ = for the purpose of killing

• प्रकीर्तय: tell (me)
• प्रकीर्तय: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद: proclaim/tell

• यथा: so that
• यथा: Upapada (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/relative adverb): so that/as

• शक्नोमि: I can
• शक्नोमि: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद: I am able

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘तेजः’ इत्यस्य (soḍhum) कर्मरूपेण

• सोढुम्: to endure
• सोढुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): ‘to endure/bear’ (सह् → सोढुम्)

• तेजः: radiance
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘radiance’ (object of ‘सोढुम्’)

• तस्य: of that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘दुरात्मनः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दुरात्मनः: of the wicked one
• दुरात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of the evil-souled one’

Speaker

Indra (Śakra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, strained and radiant yet shaken, petitions for a method to destroy a wicked, blazing foe; the atmosphere is tense, with heat-like aura around the unseen adversary.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Vṛtra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma advances through right means (upāya) learned from the wise, not through impulsive force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the tīrtha setting becomes clearer as the solution is revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for instruction.