Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

एवं मया प्रतिज्ञाय कोपाविष्टेन सूतज । गृहीतो लगुडः स्थूलो वधार्थं पवनाशिनाम्

Transliteration

evaṃ mayā pratijñāya kopāviṣṭena sūtaja | gṛhīto laguḍaḥ sthūlo vadhārthaṃ pavanāśinām

Translation

ഹേ സൂതജ! ഇങ്ങനെ ഞാൻ പ്രതിജ്ഞ ചെയ്ത്, കോപാവേശത്തോടെ, വായുഭക്ഷികളായ (പവനാശി) സർപ്പങ്ങളെ വധിക്കാനായി ഒരു കട്ടിയുള്ള ഭാരമേറിയ ലഗുഡം (ഗദ) കൈയിൽ എടുത്തു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रतिज्ञाय: having vowed / having promised
• प्रतिज्ञाय: Sambandha (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + ति + ज्ञा (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• कोप-आविष्टेन: by one possessed by anger
• कोप-आविष्टेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (आ + विश् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कोपेन आविष्टः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• सूतज: O son of the charioteer (Sūta)
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—सूतस्य जः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गृहीतः: was taken / seized
• गृहीतः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) प्रयुक्तः क्रियापदवत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लगुडः: a club
• लगुडः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लगुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्थूलः: thick, heavy
• स्थूलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; लगुडः इति विशेषणम्

• वध-अर्थम्: for killing
• वध-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (अर्थम् = for the sake of)

• पवन-आशिनाम्: of the wind-eaters (snakes)
• पवन-आशिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—पवनम् आश्नन्ति ये (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Unspecified first-person speaker addressing Sūtaja (a ‘son of Sūta’); broader frame likely Sūta narration in Nāgara-khaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtaja (son of a charioteer)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Addressing ‘sūtaja’ (son of a charioteer), the speaker recounts: ‘Having vowed thus, possessed by anger, I seized a thick club to kill the air-devouring serpents.’ The club is lifted; the face is flushed with wrath.

Characters & Entities

• Sūtaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows how anger can seize a person even after a formal vow—setting up later reflection on consequences and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it is part of a larger tīrtha-related chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse narrates the taking up of a weapon after a vow.