Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अथ कृत्वा महद्युद्धं यथा शक्त्यातिदारुणम् । हतभूयिष्ठशेषा ये भित्त्वा भूमिं गता अधः

Transliteration

atha kṛtvā mahadyuddhaṃ yathā śaktyātidāruṇam | hatabhūyiṣṭhaśeṣā ye bhittvā bhūmiṃ gatā adhaḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അവർ തങ്ങളുടെ ശക്തിയോളം അത്യന്തം ഭീകരമായ മഹായുദ്ധം നടത്തി; സൈന്യത്തിലെ ഭൂരിഭാഗം ഹതമായപ്പോൾ ശേഷിച്ചവർ ഭൂമി പിളർത്തി താഴേക്ക് പോയി।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमार्थक (then)

• कृत्वा: having done; having fought
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (युद्धम् इति विशेष्य)

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• यथा: as; according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/according to)

• शक्त्या: with (their) power
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• अतिदारुणम्: exceedingly dreadful
• अतिदारुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘अति’ उपसर्ग/अव्ययेन तीव्रता

• हतभूयिष्ठशेषाः: those with most slain (few remaining)
• हतभूयिष्ठशेषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + bhūyiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (हतं भूयिष्ठं येषां ते शेषाः = whose majority was slain, remaining few)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• भित्त्वा: having split; breaking through
• भित्त्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhid (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• भूमिम्: the earth
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• गताः: went
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• अधः: downwards; below
• अधः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (downwards)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After a brutal clash, the surviving dānavas crack the earth; fissures open like dark mouths, and they plunge downward amid dust and broken weapons.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when powerful forces oppose dharma, their defeat leads them to obscurity; righteousness remains established in the world above.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as narrative transition within Tīrthamāhātmya; the tīrtha focus is carried by the broader episode centered on the ocean and Agastya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.