Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

हतशेषान्समादाय राक्षसान्बलसंयुतः । पलायनं भयाच्चक्रे क्षतांगस्तस्य सायकैः

Transliteration

hataśeṣānsamādāya rākṣasānbalasaṃyutaḥ | palāyanaṃ bhayāccakre kṣatāṃgastasya sāyakaiḥ

Translation

ശേഷിച്ച രാക്ഷസരെ കൂട്ടിച്ചേർത്ത്, ബലവാനായ അവൻ ഭയത്തോടെ ഓടി രക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു; ആ രാജാവിന്റെ ശരങ്ങളാൽ അവന്റെ ശരീരം ക്ഷതപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• हतशेषान्: the remaining (survivors)
• हतशेषान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत (हन् धातु, कृदन्त) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘हताः शेषाः ये’ (those remaining after being slain)

• समादाय: having gathered/taken along
• समादाय: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• राक्षसान्: demons
• राक्षसान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• बलसंयुतः: endowed with strength
• बलसंयुतः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल + संयुत (युज् धातु, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त ‘endowed with’; तत्पुरुषः (बलेन संयुतः)

• पलायनम्: flight, escape
• पलायनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भयात्: from fear, out of fear
• भयात्: अपादान (Ablative/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

• चक्रे: did, made
• चक्रे: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• क्षताङ्गः: with wounded body
• क्षताङ्गः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षत (क्षद्/क्षत्; कृदन्त) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘क्षतम् अङ्गं यस्य’ (having wounded limbs)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सायकैः: by arrows
• सायकैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Deductive (narratorial voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; explicit speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wounded Krūrabuddhi rallies the remaining rākṣasas and retreats into the forest; arrows protrude, blood minimal; the king stands firm, the hermitage behind him regaining calm.

Characters & Entities

• Krūrabuddhi (implied)
• Rākṣasas
• Maitrasahi (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is defended with courage and sanctified power, destructive forces retreat—even if they remain outwardly strong.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is contextual to the chapter’s Tīrthamāhātmya, but it is not explicitly named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the aftermath of the defense of the yajña.